Flesh & Blood
by JizzyHips
Summary: Flesh and blood. That's what our lives had become. They consume the flesh, we consume the blood. Rated M for language, eventual lemons, and a fuckton of gore. Dark/AU Collab between HammerHips and JaspersIzzy
1. Prologue

**Warning: Rated M for language, eventual lemons, and a fuckton of gore. **

**A/N: Thank you to our amazing beta, givemesomevamp, and our prereaders cullen818 and Edward's Chipper. We appreciate your support on this crazy little fic! SMeyer owns all, we just make her characters scream in terror.**

**We also have to give special props to EdwardsChipper for coming up with our collab name. Thanks bb. Nothing else would do. **

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**"When the Jews return to Zion**  
**And a comet fills the sky**  
**And the Holy Roman Empire rises,**  
**Then you and I must die.**  
**From the eternal sea he rises,**  
**Creating armies on either shore,**  
**Turning man against his brother**  
**'Til man exists no more."**

**-Father Brennan**

**"The Omen"**

I leaned back against the rickety antenna, hoping it didn't collapse under my weight. It only groaned and protested for a moment before falling silent, so I made myself comfortable, if only for a moment. It's not like I had much down time nowadays. Taking a moment for myself was a rarity, one that I've learned to appreciate since hell on earth began. I'd always heard to appreciate the little things, but it never made much sense to me until now.

I pulled out a pack of smokes and the lighter that I had swiped down at the convenience store earlier today, trying my damndest to wipe the memories out of my head as I lit one up, taking one long, deep drag. I tried to think of happier times before all this began, but it seemed so long ago. I'm not sure if the good times ever really existed. Maybe I'd just been conjuring them up to help deal with all the carnage and loss.

I realize it was pointless to bask in the blissful memories. It only makes me long for them even more. It's hopeless to think things could ever be good again. Butting out my Marlboro, I reclined once again to look up at the stars.

At least they hadn't changed. So much had, though. This corner of our world had fallen apart. Pulled down into the depths of hell; pulled down into insanity. We should have left this place, snuck out and headed somewhere to begin again. We should have counted our losses and never looked back. But we kept clinging to stupid fucking ideals that might be the end of us: fate, love, and hope.

We're risking our lives. We'd throw ourselves onto the grenade to save our family in the foxhole. We'd rise out of the trenches and charge the enemy, dying like maggots under a blowtorch. We'd strap bombs on our former friends and blow them up in the midst of our adversaries. Because of our ideals and the need to correct our mistake, we were spiraling down into insanity, doing things most wouldn't dare . Some of us do it for our friends, some for our family, some due to guilt, and some for their own flesh and blood.

Flesh and blood. That's what our lives had become. They consume the flesh, we consume the blood.

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**END NOTES: **

**We are dying to know what you think. We've worked hard on this and plan to update weekly. Since this was so short, we'll post the next update tomorrow night. We'll post on Saturdays from there on out. **

**Thanks for reading, and make sure to leave us your thoughts. **

**HammerHips & JaspersIzzy**


	2. Chapter 1  Puberty of the Spirit

**AN: Since FFn was fail yesterday and wouldn't let us post here, we decided to go ahead and give you both the prologue and chapter 1 at the same time. Thanks to everyone who reviewed over on TwiWrite so far. We'll update every Saturday from here on out. K? Mkay!**

**Thanks to our fuckawesome beta, givemesomevamp, for her awesome bad skillz and rocking these chapters (yes, we have several already written) out at lightening speed. And to our amazing pre-readers Cullen818 and EdwardsChipper for stroking our egos like Dr. Evil's pussy. We couldn't do this without you. **

**We don't own shit, not even the hotness that is Jasper which is a damn shame. We'd love to tie him up and have our wicked way with him. SM owns all. **

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"Edward, could you be a dear and fetch me the spare paint rollers?" Esme's voice echoed through the house. I knew she was only speaking out loud for my benefit, but I loved her for it.

_Cockblocked again._

I sighed loudly. Edward chuckled at my frustration as he gently pushed against my shoulders so I would climb out of his lap.

_Thank God he can't read my thoughts._

I stood and started to cross my arms over my chest but he reached out and grabbed my left hand, tugging me behind him, out into the hallway, and down the stairs. He kept looking back at me, smiling, which distracted me completely. I just followed behind him, stumbling every now and then as he pulled me along until we stopped at a door I'd never used before.

I gave Edward a puzzling look and he laughed. "It's the door to the basement, Bella. Even vampires require space to store various odds and ends."

I raised my eyebrow and gave him a mischievous grin, "So this is where you hide your coffins."

I heard Esme's and Emmett's loud laughing in the living room and Rosalie's low growl as Edward shook his head, reaching up with his free hand to rub his temple with his thumb and forefinger.

"Bella, you can be so exasperating sometimes." Edward was looking at me as if he was disappointed in my comment, but I knew it was just the fact that he didn't like me bringing up our differences. It didn't bother me. I tried to persuade him to change me every day. Of course, his argument was always the same.

"_You don't want to be cursed to this life, Bella. You don't understand what you're asking. I cannot take your soul, love."_

He would never understand that my soul belonged to him, so it could never be taken away. Of course, if I told him that he would just roll his eyes and tell me that I was just a _human, _just a _child._ I couldn't possibly mean that at the age of seventeen.

Then, he would regale me with tales of what it was like when _he_ was human. How we would have _married_ if I would have met him back then. How we would have had a _family_. I never once pointed out how hypocritical it was that back then he could have made the decision to marry but now, I'm only a child. A child who wasn't given the choice to live an eternity with the man I loved.

When I told Charlie that I just didn't understand Edward sometimes, he said that normal men made as much sense as women in relationships, and that pansy men made less. I was sure he coughed Edward's name, but I let it slide because he was right. Some things don't make sense, and you overlook all of the negatives if you're in love.

Something, however, made me believe there was more to it than Edward's reluctance to bite me. It was in the way he constantly told me how things were in his lifetime… like he believed if he said it enough, his human dreams would come true.

I could understand how important this was to him, but his persistence unnerved me. I couldn't imagine Edward would let me just die naturally eighty years from now, but he was holding me off. He was waiting for something, but what? I wasn't sure.

I knew one day I would sway Edward to change me. I just hoped it would be soon. In less than a week, I'll be a year older than Edward when he was turned. I don't want to spend an eternity looking like I'm his mother. That would suck deformed monkey nuts.

He opened the door and pulled me along with him, using his vampire speed to steady me every time I stumbled on the narrow steps. The basement was disappointing. There was plenty of light and, like the rest of the house, there wasn't a cobweb in sight. Everything was in big, blue Tupperware bins lining the walls, stacked neatly, and marked in Esme's neat handwriting. There wasn't a speck of dust in sight. At least to my inferior eyes.

I hate stupid, uber-clean vampires.

But, there _was_ something down there you didn't see every day: part of the basement was walled off in glass. There were beakers and medical instruments lying around that looked like they came straight off of one of those crime shows, and Carlisle was in there working. He was wearing a white jumpsuit and mixing something very carefully before he put a dropper full of red liquid on a slide and examined it under a very fancy microscope.

I looked at Edward questioningly, and I swear I saw a sheepish look flicker across his face before he spoke.

"This is where Carlisle does research that he can't do in the hospital, Bella. It's nothing, really."

Hrmm, I knew Edward well enough that I could tell he was being a little too nonchalant about whatever it was that Carlisle was working on.

"What is he researching, Edward?"

Edward cleared his throat in a very human-like manner and found his shoes very interesting all of a sudden. Whatever _research_ Carlisle was doing, I wasn't going to like it.

"Well, ever since Carlisle turned Rosalie he has been studying our venom and looking for a way to reverse the transformation. Once Rosalie found Emmett, he slowed his study dramatically, but I recently gave him the funds for another round."

His eyes never left the floor as he spoke, but his head was tilted just enough that I could see his face. There was a darkness I had never seen before clouding his expression, but it was masked by something more. It took me a moment to recognize it.

Hope.

"Why would you do that?" I asked nervously. I was holding my breath awaiting his answer, because somehow deep down, I feared I already knew the answer.

"I thought it would be prudent to attempt to find a cure," he finally looked up from his shoes with that same glint of hope now more prominent in his eyes, "So that I could be changed for you, Bella."

I was stunned. He was willing to exchange an eternity with me for a few measly years, just so he wouldn't have to change me. Carlisle was working on a cure to make Edward human, which meant that I would stay human as well. If he was successful, this would change everything. All my dreams for mine and Edward's future would no longer exist.

But what else could this mean? If a cure could be made, how long would it take? And what would be the side effects of such a thing? I can't imagine bringing a vampire back from the dead would be an easy thing to do. There was so much that could go wrong, including death.

Just the thought of that happening set my ass hairs on fire with rage. How could he be willing to take such a risk? Especially when the alternative gave us so much more. I'd seen _I Am Legend_. The drug companies thought they'd found the cure for cancer, but instead, it turned humans into hairless Sinead O'Conners with hulk-like strength and brains like Bill Gates. To make matters worse, they wanted to eat your flesh while you screamed like you were stuck in _Deliverance_.

There's no telling what a so-called cure would do—if Carlisle could even find one—but what sucked above all else, was the fact the asshole didn't even have the nerve to discuss it with me.

I looked up at him. My eyes narrowed and my nostrils flared. "What do you mean, Edward? You asked him to find a cure and you didn't consult me? You didn't ask what _I_ wanted because I'm just a child and I couldn't possibly know what choice I'd like to make? You'd be willing to risk your eternal life just to turn human again for me when we know that I could be changed? You would take the chance of being changed into a human and dying in a car crash or getting cancer or… "

Carlisle had stopped working and was now staring at us through his big, plastic goggles as Edward interrupted my tirade.

"But…"

"No! No 'buts', Edward. This isn't right! This isn't a relationship! You don't get to make a big decision like this without me! You don't get to decide _our_ future without discussing it with me first. If this is your idea of a relationship, then I don't want it!"

I meant to duck around him and stomp up the stairs, but in one of my less graceful moments, I tripped and tried to steady myself by latching onto the nearest tower of Tupperware. Instead, I knocked it over—and just like the dominoes I set up as a child across Charlie's kitchen floor—they began toppling. One by one the towers fell and the two vampires in the room stood there in shock—Edward still freaking out by my first true outburst, and Carlisle just watching the train wreck caused by the silly human—as they fell directly into the glass wall.

The sound of glass shattering filled my ears as Edward finally got his vampiric ass into gear, scooped me up, and threw me over his shoulder. I saw Carlisle's research go down the tubes as all of the glass beakers filled with liquid toppled to the floor as the blue bins smashed into his table.

I was shaking when Edward sat me down in the living room, horrified by the carnage my clumsiness had caused this time.

"Oh, shit! Shit! I can't believe I did that!"

I looked around the room and spotted Emmett trying to hold in his chuckles, Esme with one hand over her mouth and the other on her unbeating heart, and Rosalie with a triumphant look on her face before she winked at me.

Winked. At me.

_I'm in the Twilight Zone._

Then I looked at Edward. A very pissed Edward.

"That language is very unbecoming, Bella."

I growled at him.

He looked shocked, but said nothing before he zoomed back downstairs to survey the damage I'd caused.

"Oops!"

Rosalie started laughing: the most beautiful laugh I'd ever heard. Even her laugh was gorgeous.

And then I _knew_ I was in the Twilight Zone because Rosalie _never_ laughed in my presence. Never. She only ever looked at me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her new Louboutins. But she had _winked_, and then _laughed_ at me.

Emmett's guffaws joined his wife's tinkling, gorgeous laughter as Esme came over and grabbed my hand, trying to pull me to the couch with her. Always the pulling and tugging on the human to get her to cooperate instead of just _asking_.

It was Esme. I wasn't upset with her, but at Edward. He had kept all of the research from me and then just chided me in front of his family, instead of waiting until we were alone. But when Esme pulled on me, something in me snapped. I was tired of being pulled, poked, molded, and made-over. I probably would have yelled at Alice if she was here, but she was off on one of her shopping sprees with Jasper. One I managed to weasel out of in order to spend time with Edward.

"Stop trying to control me, damn it! The fragile human can stand for five freaking minutes! I'm so tired of all of this shit! Edward keeping things from me because I'm just a child. Alice dressing me like a child. Being pulled around because it's what's best for me. Damn it, my brain works just fucking fine, thank you! I can decide to sit whenever I feel like sitting and right now, I don't!"

I stomped my foot for emphasis as I yanked my hand out of Esme's. _Damn, that's gonna leave a mark._

Carlisle and Edward ran upstairs to witness my meltdown. Both of them were staring at me like I'd just grown a third head. My cheeks turned their typical bright red color as I blushed, embarrassed that everyone had seen me lose my cool.

_I should've gone fishing with Charlie today_.

I cleared my throat and attempted to salvage the entire situation. "Carlisle, I'm very sorry. I know it doesn't make everything better, but I do apologize for ruining, well, everything down there. Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a klutz."

"It was an accident, Bella. No need to apologize. I have had setbacks before." Carlisle gave me a wan smile, "I can have everything cleaned up and back in working order again in no time. I have a perfect memory, remember?" Bless that man. I had just completely destroyed all of his hard work, and here he was trying to make me feel better. It had the opposite effect: it made me feel worse.

As he turned to head back to the basement of doom, Edward's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Did you do that on purpose, Bella? You didn't agree with my choice, so you destroyed any chance of me becoming human!"

Esme tried to calm her son. "Edward, we all understand that you're upset, but it was an accident."

"You're right, Mom. It was probably just a very convenient accident, and now she'll insist on becoming a monster."

I stomped over to Edward and slapped him right across his perfect, marble-y face. With the same hand I'd yanked out of Esme's. And it hurt. Badly. But, I was proud of myself for keeping eye contact with him and not yelping in pain.

It was true that I was pissed off beyond all reason, but I never would have intentionally destroyed all of Carlisle's hard work. How dare he insinuate that I would! I was more than surprised when I found myself mentally checking if I had a lighter in my pocket, but I was so furious right now, I didn't let myself think about that just yet. We stood there staring at each other for who knows how long before I turned to Emmett.

"Em, would you mind driving me home since I was to weak and human to drive myself here?"

Before he could reply, Rosalie jumped up. "I'd be happy to take you home, Bella. If that's alright with you?"

_Yep. Twilight Zone for sure._

"Yes, I'd like that Rosalie. Thank you."

I grabbed my purse and headed for the door, not allowing myself to look back at Edward. If I did, I'd probably apologize for everything just because I didn't want to fight with him. Sometimes I _was_ just a weak human, especially when it came to Edward. Stupid fucking vampires.

I climbed into Rosalie's BMW and we sped down the driveway in silence. I stared out the window and thought about the unexpected turn this day had taken after discovering the Cullen basement. I began second-guessing the way I'd handled everything. Throwing a temper tantrum in front of the whole family? That really proved I wasn't a child. Stupid Bella. I didn't speak until I realized we were taking an awful long time to get home and realized we were heading toward Port Angeles instead.

"Umm, Rosalie, this isn't the way to my house."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I should have asked you but I thought you'd say no, and I really would like to take you out to dinner. I figured you'd like some time to unwind before seeing your father. Please forgive me? Oh, and friends call me Rose."

_What! The! Actual! Fuck?_

Rosalie wanted to take me out to dinner. Rosalie asked forgiveness. Rosalie called me a friend. Maybe I was down in that basement a little too long and inhaled some toxic fumes. No, Edward would _never_ have allowed that. If he thought the basement was dangerous, he would never have let me go down there. Because he has to make sure stupid, clumsy, human Bella is safe.

"Well, I'd like that very much, Rosa... err, I mean, Rose. But, what brought this on? I thought you hated me?"

There goes my mouth again. What has gotten into me? I grew balls of steel sometime in the last day and I hadn't even realized it: puberty of the spirit.

Rosalie laughed again. I really did love her laugh.

"I never hated you. Well, I didn't hate you, but I didn't like you either. I thought you were weak; just a _person_ who allowed everyone to push her around like a pet. No one deserves that, Bella. To be honest, this life isn't easy. I don't see how you could want to give up a human life to be like us. With the way you acted, letting Alice and Edward change you into who they wanted you to be, well, I didn't think you were capable of making the decision to be changed. To me, it looked like you didn't even know who you were. I think I was wrong about that. Plus, us bitchy types need to stick together."

She winked at me to emphasize our newfound friendship. The winking thing kinda freaked me out, to be honest.

Huh. Who knew that losing my shit on Edward and Esme would cause Rose to like me? Oh well, I'd take it. After my little show today, I'm sure my likability meter went down in Esme's, Carlisle's, and Edward's eyes.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. I'm not usually like that, though. I suppose I just had enough. Plus, I probably won't be coming around much anymore. We might as well have one outing, right? After all, Edward is probably going to break up with me after my _un-ladylike_ outburst." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought. He needed to learn to loosen up.

Rose chuckled. I wish she would have laughed - it was much more beautiful - but again, I'd take what I could get.

"If he's your mate, he'll come back for more, Bella. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: with true mates like Esme and Carlisle or Emmett and me, you can't resist the pull. No matter what he thought of your little outburst, he will forgive you. If he's not your mate, it's better to know that now before you're changed, right?"

She was right, but I didn't like it. Although, I truly believed we _were _meant to be, if he couldn't realize that I needed to be in a relationship based on equality, then we weren't true mates.

"So, is that why you always get your way with Emmett?"

She nodded. "Yep. We've done the arguing thing and he's found that I'm much more stubborn than he is. It's easier for him to just agree with me than to argue and have me withhold sex. When he argues, I know it's something very important to him so I listen more closely and we try to compromise. After all, relationships are all about equality and compromise."

I mumbled under my breath, "Something Edward and I are severely lacking."

Of course, her stupid vampire ears picked up on that.

"Yep, but you can change that, Bella. You have to stick to your guns, so to speak. Let him know that you won't be pushed around. Edward is always spouting off that it's almost impossible for vampires to change. They're set in their ways, but that's bullshit. If it were true, Carlisle would never have become a doctor, I would still be recovering from the trauma of my death, and Jasper would be discussing the inequality of races."

I'd never thought of it like that. Edward was just stubborn. As stubborn as Rose. Well, I could work with that.

I paused. Something that Rose said caught my attention. "Rose, what do you mean 'the trauma of your death'?"

"Didn't Edward tell you?" She looked puzzled, so sure he had broken her confidence.

"No. Edward said he hears more than he should and says someone's story should be their own to tell. I don't know how you were changed."

We sat outside of the restaurant with me bawling like a baby as Rosalie told me her story: how she was violated by her fiancé, how she just wanted a family and a child, and how Carlisle changed her to become Edward's mate. How she found Emmett, saved him, and how he saved her in return.

"…I think I'd still be hounding Carlisle for that cure—or I would have jumped in the nearest bonfire by now—if it weren't for Emmett. Now, I'm… well, I still feel the pain of never being able to have his child, but I'm happy." She pulled a tissue out of her purse and handed it to me to wipe my eyes and blow my nose. "Now, let's go get to know each other a little bit and have a nice dinner."

Talking with Rose was… nice. She listened to me, asked my opinions on things, and didn't tell me I was wrong when I told her what I thought. We spent a few hours in the restaurant, enjoying ourselves, before I yawned and decided it was time to head home. Edward had called Rose a few times, but she just rolled her eyes and eventually turned her phone off. She said he was already coming around and letting him stew on his idiocy for a while would help him better than allowing him to apologize right away. And I agreed.

I took my leftovers and the steak Rose had ordered so I could give it to Charlie and left her BMW with a promise that we would do this again sometime soon. I headed inside and saw a note from Charlie on the table.

_Bells,_

_I came back early from my fishing trip because I managed to hook myself something fierce. I went by the Cullen's house so Carlisle could stitch me up, and you weren't there. Carlisle said you were off with the blonde girl for some girls' time. Since you weren't here, I headed down to LaPush to watch the game with Billy. Don't worry about dinner. We'll just fry up some fish there. If it's not too late, why don't you drive down and join us? _

_Hope you had fun,_

_Dad_

_P.S. Edwin seemed awful mopey. I hope you two didn't break up. That would be horrible._

Well, at least we could eat what I'd brought home tomorrow so I wouldn't have to cook. Maybe I could even go shopping with Rose. Or we could work on my truck. I stuck the doggie bags in the fridge and headed up to my bedroom, making sure to latch my window tight.

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**End Notes: Thanks for reading. A little slow at first, but we'll get to the good stuff soon enough. Just bare with us. We promise the gruesome shit is on the way for you gore lovers. And there will be gore. A little foreshadowing here, and we'd love to hear what your thoughts are and where we are going. Check out our profile for our banner. Wuss's beware. We scared some peeps on twitter with it. (insert evil laughter) We'll see you next Saturday. **

**HammerHips and JaspersIzzy**


	3. Chapter 2 Bite Me

**AN: Thank you all so much for your love and reviews for this fic. You warm our black little hearts. **

**We want to hump our prereaders Cullen818 and EdwardsChipper for all their help. And our awesome beta givemesomevamp for mad skillz in making this pretteh. **

**The ride starts here. Take that as you will when heading the warning. Bwhahaha!**

**We do not own Twilight or it's characters. No copyright infringement is intended. **

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**Flesh & Blood**

**Chapter 2**

**Bite Me**

I didn't sleep well. My dreams were filled with horrific images of Edward being turned human. I had heard stories of how awful being changed into a vampire was, but I could only imagine how painful it would be to bring something back to life that had been dead for over a hundred years...if it could even work.

Every so often I would awake in a cold sweat, only able to remember bits and pieces of what I had dreamt. It was enough to make me feel uneasy as I tried to fall back to sleep. It was a miracle I was able to sleep at all.

Charlie accidentally woke me a little after midnight when he came home to make sure I was in my bed. To give him credit, he didn't mean to wake me up but he stumbled over my purse, which I'd haphazardly thrown in the floor. Charlie had always been lighter on his feet than me, but he was the one I'd inherited my clumsiness from.

"Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to wake you. Just wanted to check on you." His voice sounded hoarse, which at first I just played it off as sleepiness from coming home so late, but then I got a good look at his hand that had been stitched up by Carlisle earlier. It didn't look healthy at all. It was paler than the rest of his body and it was still seeping a little bit of blood from the look of it. I was instantly worried.

"Dad, your hand looks terrible," I said after sitting up and turning the light on to get a better look at it.

"Oh, I'm fine, Bells. Don't worry about it. It'll heal in a day or so." He was so stubborn. He had little beads of sweat along his forehead and dark circles under his eyes. I offered to dress the wound for him - even with my aversion to blood - but he said he could manage. I made him promise to go back in if it still looked as bad tomorrow. He agreed and ambled off to his own room for much needed sleep.

I couldn't shake the worry that was trickling through me as I settled back down in my bed, but I felt some relief that he would see Carlisle tomorrow if his hand was any worse. He probably wasn't taken caring of it like he should and had gotten it infected. Nothing a round of antibiotics couldn't take care of.

I had just closed my eyes when there was a knock on my window. I shot out of bed angry that Edward was interrupting my sleep, only to find Jasper sitting in the tree and Alice standing on the ground below.

"Is everything alright here, Bella?" He asked with a worried expression.

I looked around, wondering what the hell he was talking about before nodding. When I realized he was waiting for a verbal answer, I whispered, "Yeah, everything's fine. Why?"

He took another look around, before his eyes landed on me again. He nodded before saying, "I'll let Alice explain it to you."

That was all he said before he jumped from the tree. Before my eyes could adjust, Alice was sitting at my window, waiting for me to allow her in with a look of worry painted on her face.

I opened the window and she practically pushed me to the side in her haste to get into my room. I left the window open in case Jasper wanted to join us, although I knew he wouldn't. I think the conversation I'd just had with him was the most I'd spoken to him since the incident in Phoenix, and I knew he would find it difficult to be in a room that was saturated with my scent.

"There's nothing out of the ordinary here, Bella? We were on our way back from Seattle and you completely disappeared from my visions! I couldn't see anything! I called Edward but he went hunting with Carlisle and Esme, and Emmett and Rose weren't answering their phones, so we drove straight over."

"Yeah, everything's fine. I don't know why you wouldn't see me." I briefly wondered why Alice couldn't see me, but I had so many other things on my mind that it fell to the wayside.

"Well, Jasper checked the perimeter of the house—he insisted on making sure everything seemed fine before I came up—and there aren't any unusual scents. It smells like Charlie is sick, though… maybe an infection of some sort. He might want to go see Carlisle tomorrow."

I didn't have time to get a word in edgewise. Alice just kept blabbering while I tried to keep up with her in my semi-coherent state. "I'm sorry that I didn't see what happened today in time to stop it, Bella. I don't always see your little stumbles ahead of time. No one is upset with you by the way. But you can't stay mad at Edward; he loves you. He's going to be here in about an hour to ask for forgiveness, so please talk with him. Oh, I bought you the cutest pajamas in Seattle! I'll have Jasper get them out of the car so you can wear them for Edward!"

It took me longer than usual to comprehend what she was saying but once I did, I was more than a little upset with her.

"Alice, first off, I don't care if anyone is mad at me. What I said had to be said. Second, I'm glad you didn't interfere in my moment of clumsiness because if you had, I wouldn't have made friends with Rose. Sometimes, you have to let things play out instead of constantly interfering in my life! Sometimes you have to let me make my own mistakes so I can learn from them. Third, I like sleeping in sweats! That isn't about to change. I don't need you dressing me up like your little toy! I can make my own decisions about my clothes. Thank you very much!"

I was proud that I managed to keep my voice down to a whisper since Charlie wasn't sleeping well. I could hear his moans as he tossed and turned. I'd have to check on him as soon as Alice left.

Alice's mouth kept opening and closing while she tried to come up with something to say. I kind of liked that she couldn't see me right now, for whatever reason that might be. It meant she had no idea how I would react, and she had no clue how to respond without her visions telling her if she was making the right decision. I crossed my arms and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something.

"You sound just like Rosalie."

I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Once my giggles were under control, I replied, "Is that such a terrible thing, Alice? I think Rose is a strong, opinionated, beautiful woman. Just like Rose, I'm allowed to have a say in what I wear, what I do, and if I become a vampire… even if you and Edward don't like it."

I'd never seen Alice look so frustrated before. "As your best friend, I think you deserve those things, Bella. I think you deserve the best, and I'm just trying to help. I…"

I interrupted her because I didn't want her to try to justify molding me into her own personal doll. "_If_ you're my best friend and _if _you want to help, then ask my opinions, Alice. Give me advice but don't force me to do what you want to do. If you're my best friend then let me live my life. We can still have girls' nights. We can still go shopping, but I get a say in the clothes I buy and what we do."

She nodded once in response before mumbling something I couldn't make out.

"Human here, Alice. Speak up."

"I said that Edward is very sorry, Bella. He disappears in about an hour so I think he's coming to visit you…" Her voice trailed off slightly as her eyes glazed over, trying to see something of the future. "I need to see Carlisle and figure out why my vision is failing around you. I don't like it and it's giving me a headache."

"I'm sorry, Alice. If I knew what was causing it, I'd tell you." Even though I liked the fact that Alice couldn't see everything I was doing, I didn't want her to be upset. I wouldn't mind her seeing my future, as long as she let me live my life and kept her nosy pixie ass out of my everyday business.

She waved off my apology and continued, "As I was saying, I think Edward is coming here and I know he's sorry for losing his temper. Please give him a chance, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not breaking up with him if that's what you mean, Alice. But, I'm not going to let him walk all over me either. We both have a stake in our future and I deserve an equal part in our relationship. He can't make decisions for me anymore. I won't stand for it. If he's really my mate, he will agree."

She nodded solemnly once again, and another question popped into my mind. "Alice, how is it that you see me becoming a vampire when Edward has no intentions of changing me? What do you think that means?"

That was apparently the wrong question to ask because Alice's eyes bulged and she actually stammered as she answered.

Stammered.

_Still in the Twilight Zone…_

"W-well, I still see you as a vampire, Bella. That much is sure. Now, I better go so you can get some rest before Edward visits. Good night!"

She pecked me on the cheek and headed out the window at vampire speed, leaving me standing there staring into darkness.

_Okay, that was odd, _I thought before turning back towards my bed.

"Bella?"

I whipped around to see Jasper hanging from the gutter outside my window. Stupid, indestructible vampires.

"Yes, Jasper?"

"Don't worry about standing up to Alice or Edward. Not many people do. I think it'll be good for the both of them."

Then he smiled at me.

Dazzled.

Yep, Alice's husband just dazzled me. Stupid, sexy vampires.

He chuckled as my emotions bombarded him and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Err, thanks. I'm, umm, going to go to bed now. Night."

He chuckled as I stumbled over to the window to close it once again. As I reached up to grab the frame, he leaned in slightly with that same sexy smile on his face.

"Goodnight, Isabella."

His sweet breath hit me full force from the closest contact I'd ever had with him and I thought my panties were going to explode. Of course, he laughed loudly, causing Charlie to growl. He flinched, mouthed "Sorry", and jumped to the ground below.

Stupid fucking empath did that on purpose! Oh, Jasper's wilier than I ever gave him credit for. First, I see a nice Rosalie and then a playful Jasper. I'm pretty sure I entered a wormhole in the Cullen's basement, and now I'm in some kind of weird alternate universe. That's the only explanation.

I locked my window and trudged into Charlie's bedroom to see him tossing and turning, not looking well at all. If he wasn't sleeping better by the time Edward came, I'd have him call Carlisle to come check on him.

I had barely managed to go back to sleep when there was a tapping at my window. I stumbled out of bed to see Edward perched in the tree with a forlorn look on his face. I glared at him for a while before sighing and going over to open the window, making sure to keep my body positioned so he couldn't come in without an apology.

Before I even had time to swing it open he was already blabbering on.

"I'm truly sorry for my behavior earlier, Bella. May I please come in and speak to you?"

I stepped to the side and held my hand out, as a welcoming gesture—even though my body language said anything but. He was going to have to do better than that if I was going to forgive him.

Before he apologized, Edward craned his neck slightly and his nostrils flared as he smelled the air.

A strange expression crossed his face before he said, "Charlie smells like he has a staph infection…no, it's…sweeter? Stay here, Bella. I'll be right back."

I watched Edward as he disappeared into my father's room. He came back a few seconds later with his phone in his hand as he furiously dialed a number. At this point, I was seriously starting to worry about Charlie. From the expression on Edward's face, I knew it couldn't be good.

He spoke at vampire speed and I was none too happy about being left out of the loop again. When he hung up the phone and stuck it in his pocket, he saw my hands folded across my chest and the glare I was giving him. He decided it was time to finally fill the little, fragile child in on his conversation.

"I believe Charlie has a serious infection from the fish hook. He was sleeping on his stomach, so I couldn't get a good look at it, but I smell coagulated blood. I called Carlisle to come over immediately and examine him. We can tell your father that I came with him when you called."

My irritation instantly turned to concern. I was still pissed at Edward, but my father was the priority at that moment.

"Is he going to be alright? Should I go wake him up?" I asked, not sure what to do. I had rarely ever seen him sick, and the look of distress Edward was trying to cover up was not helping calm my nerves.

Edward looked at me and his expression softened, "Don't wake him yet. I'm sure he'll be fine, love."

His hand reached out to cup my cheek, and normally I would welcome the comfort, but the unease from my father's condition - along with everything that had happened between us in the past day - was testing my patience.

I leaned away from him before his hand made contact and took a step back. He didn't even try to hide the hurt her felt from my actions, but right now I just didn't want to be touched - especially by him.

"Bella," he sighed as he turned to run his fingers through his hair, "Please don't tell me you're still mad? I apologized. Can't we move on from this?" He pleaded. His eyes were intense, as if they were piercing straight through me. In times past I would have fell right into his trap of aversion, but apparently the balls of steel I had grown the last few days had made me immune to his bullshit.

Bullshit-Detecting-Kryptonite Balls. I could package that shit and sell it to feminists around the world.

"Edward," I sighed in frustration. I really didn't want to talk about this right now. My main concern was for Charlie's well being but I could see if we didn't nip this in the bud now, he would push it aside as if it never happened.

"I'm really sick of you pushing me around all the time," he started to interrupt, but I put my hand up to signal he was to shut his trap and let me speak. "I'm not saying in a physical sense, but just because I'm human, doesn't give you the right to treat me like a child.

"I am almost eighteen, Edward. You're always telling me about what it was like when you were human, and according to "your era", I am an adult. So why is it so difficult for you to respect me enough to let my opinions be heard and valued? A one-sided relationship will never work, and if you don't learn to let me make my own choices and respect how I feel about things, then this," I pointed back and forth between him and me, "Is never going to work."

The lack of sleep, worry over my father, and frustration from a boyfriend who didn't listen was starting to wear me down. I closed my eyes and walked over to the bed. I just wanted to crawl into it and sleep for a week. I felt drained.

Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. This time I didn't pull away. I didn't have the strength to. I could only hope he would listen to what I had to say, and not continue to treat me like I had no fucking clue who I was or what I wanted out of _my_ life. It was frustrating.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he apologized again.

"It's just that I've been alive for over a hundred years. I've seen things that you could never imagine. I want what's best for you, and letting me make these big decisions will make you happier in the long run. You won't have to go through the pain or guilt from making wrong decisions because I'll make all the right choices to keep that from happening."

Un-fucking-believable!

"You just don't get it do you, Edward?" I snapped, pulling out of the embrace that I used to love so much. Hearing his demented ramblings as he held me like I was the most precious thing in the world had pissed me right the fuck off.

"Do you even hear yourself?" I growled - _fucking growled_ - as he took a step back. His eyes were wide like he hadn't expected his words to light my chili ring on fire worse than a habañero burrito.

"Making bad decisions and fucked up choices is part of life. It's what makes us who we are. How am I ever to know who I truly am if you just try to mold me into who you think I should be? I would think after living for over a hundred years," I exaggerated with a roll of my eyes, "That you would have learned at least _that_!"

I was breathing hard by this point. It was harder than one would think to whisper-yell at a stupid, virgin twatwaffle that was older than Moses. This shit was going nowhere, and fast.

Before he was able to come back with one of his trademark All-American Boy responses, we were interrupted by the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes pulling up outside the house. Knowing that my father was more important than this petty argument, I left him gaping like a fish and stomped out of my bedroom in a huff. Hurrying down the stairs, I went to the front door to let Carlisle in with Edward following quietly behind me.

_That's right, pretty boy. It'd be best to shut your blood hole before I whip out the Kryptonite nuts. _

Carlisle was standing at the door looking equally amused and worried when I let him in. I wasn't sure how much of our argument he had heard, but I'm sure he could tell by my expression that I was pissed.

"Hello, Bella. I apologize for coming over so late, but Edward insisted that something was seriously amiss with Charlie's hand. Where can I find him?"

His concern slapped me into a reality check. I didn't have time to argue with Edward right now. Everyone's worry mixed with my own was now causing panic to bubble up inside. I desperately wanted to know what was wrong with my father, and I hoped Carlisle could fix him up good as new in no time.

I led him up to Charlie's room, although he could have found it without me due to Charlie's moans. I was so engrossed in my argument with Edward, I hadn't noticed that he was obviously in more distress than earlier. I felt like kicking myself for being such a terrible daughter.

Edward flipped on the light when we were all three in the bedroom. The sudden brightness caused Charlie to growl and flip over at a speed that almost rivaled Edward's. Carlisle grabbed me and pulled me from the room so fast, everything was just a blur.

Edward ran to Charlie's side and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him back down onto the bed. He was thrashing and growling in a way I had never seen before. He looked like a man possessed, and it terrified me to see my normally composed father acting in such a way.

Carlisle held me by the arms in the doorway, not allowing me to enter the room. From where we stood, I could see blood beginning to seep from Charlie's eyes and ears. His skin was an odd greenish-gray color, but his veins were a crimson red. His eyes were bulging from their sockets like they could pop out at any moment.

I screamed out of shear terror. Never in my life had I witnessed such a grisly sight, and I was staring at my own dad.

_Oh my God!_

_What is wrong with my father?_

Carlisle ordered me to stay put and went to help Edward. He was on Charlie's other side holding him down by his neck and shoulders, trying to get a good grip and keep him still.

I stood there in the doorway, shaking, as I watched two vampires strain to keep my thrashing father on the bed.

Two vampires couldn't hold down a human man.

What the fuck was going on?

Charlie's mouth opened fully as a rage-filled roar echoed in the small room. I shrank back from the intensity of the sound just as lumpy, black, coagulated blood poured out of the corners of his mouth , dribbling down his chin. I could see that his tongue had turned blue and his teeth sparkled just like Edward's. I couldn't believe my eyes. This was something straight out of a horror movie.

I doubled over and vomited from the putrid smell and the sight of my father, covered in blood and fighting two vampires.

Edward turned around to check on me and his grip loosened on Charlie due to his distraction. I watched in terror as Charlie wrenched his shoulder out of Edward's grasp. He grabbed hold of Edward's arm just as our eyes connected, and then Charlie sunk his teeth into Edward's marble-like flesh.

Edward's face contorted in pain as a sound I had never heard from him before pierced the room. For the first time ever, I was petrified of him. He finally looked like the monster he had always warned me he could be.

I was breathing so hard that blackness tinged the edges of my vision. The room began to swirl as I watched Edward try to dislodge my father's teeth from his impenetrable skin; his growls of pain echoing through the house. The sight before me - the smell of rotting flesh - it was all too much as my world began to fade.

Then, darkness…

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**END NOTE:**

**Well? *giddy* Still in for the ride? Tell us what you think. It's worth Charlie's rotted flesh in gold. BWhahahaa! We have a forum up over at TwiWrite. If you'd like to ask us questions about this story or let us know how twisted we are, come find us under the Alternate Universe thread. See you Saturday. **

**HammerHips and JaspersIzzy**


	4. Chapter 3 Don't Panic

**AN: ****Wow! Thank you so much for all your reviews and love. We read everyone, even if we don't have time to reply to each of them. So thank you. **

**Big love and humps to our pre-readers's Cullen818 and EdwardsChipper. And an extra special smack on the ass to our amazing beta givemesomevamp. You make this shit purdy. **

**We do not own Twilight or its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Flesh & Blood **

**Chapter 3**

**Don't Panic**

I woke covered in splatters of my own vomit, speeding down the road with Rosalie in her BMW. Of course, Rosalie looked perfect, as always, from the top of her perfectly coiffed hair down to her spotless designer shoes. And I was sitting next to her wearing puke-covered, holey sweatpants and a tank top. Lovely.

Then, I remembered _why_ I was speeding away from Forks with Rosalie.

Charlie.

My dad.

He was _very_ sick. He _bit_ Edward.

He managed to bite Edward and break the skin.

_What the fuck is going on with Charlie?_

"Carlisle thinks that he has an infection that's blocking his ability to make myostatin—it's a protein. Without it, humans can gain temporary surges of incredible strength—enough to give Edward and Carlisle a run for their money. He's taking him to the hospital to run some tests. When Edward called, I had a feeling you might need a friend, so Alice and I came over to sit with you while Carlisle examined your dad."

Apparently, I was rambling aloud. Oops. At least I had some answers.

"I decided to bring you back to our house while we waited for any news from Carlisle. Alice and Edward went with him. I wasn't sure you'd want to wake up there," she whispered. I knew instantly what she was referring to. She didn't want me to see the... mess that my father had left behind. I could still smell the fluids that had drained from Charlie's body. The thought made me nauseous.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"It's okay, Rose. I appreciate you coming over. Do you know if this myo-whatever is permanent? Is he going to be okay?"

"We don't know, Bella."

_God, please let Charlie pull through this. I don't know what I'll do without him._

Rose reached over to gently squeeze my shoulder as I sobbed into my hands.

"He bit Edward, Rose. Bit him! How is that even possible for a human?" I asked, remembering the way his teeth cut through Edward's skin so easily. "Would that myo-stuff affect his teeth?"

Rose looked straight ahead and stiffened. "No, it shouldn't, but it _is_ possible to bite one of us, even as a human. We might feel hard to you, but with enough pressure, you can break our skin. But for a human to do it with teeth… I don't know how he did it." She looked at me uncomfortably as I waited for her to continue, "Your father broke his jaw and several of his teeth when he bit Edward, according to Carlisle. He didn't respond to the pain at all. He just kept fighting."

Tears were spilling down my cheeks at the thought of losing my father. I could have spent today fishing with him, but I always declined his offer. We didn't spend much time together even when we were in the same room. We hardly ever talked. I didn't tell him that I loved him often enough. I should have given him a hug this morning.

I was a terrible daughter.

_God, if he makes it through this, I promise to be a better daughter._

I was still bawling when we pulled up outside the Cullen household. Esme and Rosalie appeared at the passenger door of the BMW as soon as the engine turned off. Rose opened the door and gently guided me into the house by my elbow with Esme standing at her side.

Emmett was sitting on the couch looking at me forlornly. He stood up, never taking his eyes off of me, and held out his arms. Rose released my elbow and I ran the few steps between us, directly into Emmett's waiting arms.

He held me tightly as I sobbed - not saying anything - just being there for me. I needed this right now. I was emotionally distraught over the well being of my father and had just witnessed the most fucked up thing that I could imagine. PMS overkill didn't have shit on what I was feeling, and being comforted by my pseudo big brother is exactly what I needed.

I felt Esme's hand rubbing circles on my shoulder as I cried in Emmett's embrace. Her gentle touch was just as soothing as Emmett's. Then, an unfamiliar hand stroked my cheek, and my worry and anguish drifted away, leaving me swimming in calm.

I lifted my head from Emmett's cool, comforting chest and turned to see Jasper standing there, looking at me with concern flooding his face. I was absolutely shocked that Jasper was in such a close proximity to me for the second time today that I couldn't help but stare at him.

He must've thought I was upset because he jerked his hand away from my face. He took a step back and mumbled, "I'm sorry, Bella."

The worry and anguish, which I had been blessedly relieved from moments before, was flooding back into me as he stepped away. Even though the relief was artificial and brief, I found myself wanting back that peace I'd been granted.

"Why did you move away, Jasper?"

He looked hesitant, and maybe a little nervous. He was very guarded in his response, "Your emotions." His answer was simple, but said a lot.

"What did you feel from me?"

"You were worried and upset, so I tried to calm you. Then you were shocked." He stated matter-of-factly.

"What are you feeling from me now?" I questioned.

He looked at me quizzically before answering, "Well, you're worried, upset, and, well… pissed." I glared at him, "You're damn well right I'm pissed! I was shocked because you don't usually come so close to me. I wasn't upset that you were there. You would have known that if you would have just asked me!"

I don't know what caused me to snap. Maybe it was the stress of the situation or maybe it was just the Cullen's in general - this was the second time in the last two days I'd had a hissy fit in their presence - but I couldn't help the agitation I felt. His confused expression soon changed to _amusement_. His lips turned up slightly to form a smirk as he kept fucking staring.

"What's so damn funny?"

He chuckled at me. Actually chuckled. Then, he said, "Well, Bella, when you're angry you look like a garter snake that thinks it's a rattler."

Emmett started laughing, so I pulled out of his embrace and huffed.

"Let me tell you something, Jasper Hale! I'm plenty scary when I'm angry, and I'm angry at you for pulling away, so get over here and touch me until I'm satisfied!"

Apparently, I didn't choose my words wisely because Emmett doubled over from his laughter, Esme and Rose joined in, and Jasper and I were just staring at each other, shocked.

Jasper was the first to snap out of it. He smirked, cocked an eyebrow and said, "If you insist."

He came to my side and grabbed my hand, allowing his calming influence to seep into me once again. He had me so pumped up on his trippy Jasper mojo that I could feel it in my bones. Wanting more, I wrapped him in a hug, hoping the closer contact would erase it all for the time being.

He didn't even hesitate to wrap his arms around my shoulder, and I was rewarded with an extra dose of happy and contentment as he did so.

Bliss.

I listened to his low, rumbling voice through his chest when he spoke. "Don't take this the wrong way, Bella, but you smell like shit. Well, upchuck, really."

"Jasper, language!" Esme chided.

"Sorry, Mom.", he chuckled, not really sorry at all.

I pulled away, embarrassment covering my other panicked emotions enough that I could manage to leave Jasper's side for a few minutes. Rose ushered me upstairs and loaned me some clothes to wear, then we all huddled in the living room. Emmett and Rose sat on the loveseat and Esme, Jasper and I on the couch. Jasper kept his hand on my shoulder or my knee, pumping calming juju through me whenever I'd start to panic or worry too much. It was nice because he didn't try to remove my emotions completely this time, knowing I would eventually need to feel them. It was just enough to take the edge off.

Carlisle had asked Rose to keep me here at the house until they knew for sure what was going on with Charlie. He said everyone should keep a close eye on me in case I started feeling "under the weather". Alice truly cared for my father. They had become close after I returned from Phoenix. Charlie showed a fondness for Alice that I'd never seen him show toward anyone else, so she stayed with Carlisle and Edward to keep us apprised of any news.

Everyone tried to steer the conversation clear of anything relating to Charlie, but it was no use. We kept going back to his sudden sickness and the fact that he bit Edward. Even though Jasper was keeping my emotions slightly muted, I couldn't help the wave of panic that flowed over me every time the images of Charlie's deformed, and seemingly possessed, body ran through my head.

_If I was in The Twilight Zone yesterday, then I'm in The Outer Limits today._

It wasn't half an hour after I arrived at the Cullen's house when the phone rang. Esme answered and spoke at vampire speed. I didn't know what was going on, but I did know that whatever it was, it wasn't good because all of the vamps of the house became stiff as statues as they listened to the conversation.

Then, without explanation, Jasper, Esme and Emmett raced out the front door at vampire speed, leaving Rose sitting on the loveseat and me staring at her with a 'what the fuck?' look plastered on my face.

I think it took Rose a minute to realize that I had no clue what the hell was going on. She shook her head a bit, as if to clear it, before filling me in.

"Something's not right, Bella."

"Really? I couldn't have figured that out by myself, what with the vampires running out of the house like it was on fire."

"Just as they unloaded Charlie from the ambulance at the hospital, Edward started exhibiting signs of the same illness."

I cocked my head, confused, and asked, "I don't understand, Rose. Edward can't get sick. He's a vampire."

"I know, Bella, but he's not doing well at all. Apparently, he started groaning like Charlie… then, he bit Alice."

What the fuck? The one time he goes all Bitey McBiterson and I'm not around. Damn it!

"He bit her?" I just couldn't believe it. None of this made sense. First Charlie, now Edward—a vampire? Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.

Edward. Oh God. Charlie, now Edward!

And our last conversation was an argument.

I felt like the Earth had tilted on its axis and everything was upside down. Nothing seemed right. Everything was _surreal_.

I was once again bombarded with the images of blood streaming from Charlie's eyes and running down his chin. I tried to block them out, but they were so ingrained in my mind that I couldn't - no matter how badly I wanted to.

I, once again, felt sick

_Yep, I'm going to puke all over the perfect clothes I borrowed from Rosalie._

I felt a cool hand on the back of my neck, forcing my head between my knees, and another on my forehead. It felt sublime.

"Bella, I know it's hard, but try not to panic. Carlisle will do his best to figure out what's going on. If anyone can help Charlie and Edward, it's Carlisle."

She was right. The worry didn't dissipate—damn, I wished Jasper was here—but the last thing everyone needed to worry about was me. I could hold it together for everyone. I could do it for Charlie and Edward.

Then her phone rang. I looked up and tried my hardest to make out anything she said. I _really _wished I could hear vampire speak. Or maybe I didn't. Rose's eyes kept flashing toward me and she looked _worried._

Rose, who had the emotionless vampire mask thing down better than anyone, looked worried.

The worst case scenarios were flashing through my mind.

Charlie's funeral.

Edward's funeral.

Charlie and Edward's funeral.

_How can you hold a funeral for someone that's already dead?_

_Fuck, I'm really losing it now._

The world had flipped upside down and was shaking violently, while unearthly wails filled the air.

The wails? Oh, that must've been me. Preparing to hear that my world had fallen apart.

The shaking? That would be Rose's hands on my shoulders, shaking me gently for a vampire, although I felt like I was about to come apart at the seams. My father and my undead boyfriend had found a way to die.

I managed to stop screaming and gathered every ounce of willpower I had, burying the panic and worry deep within me. I took a few deep, cleansing breaths, then looked up into Rosalie's concerned, topaz eyes.

"I'm okay now, Rose. You can stop with the earthquake treatment."

Her hands left my shoulders, and she searched my eyes for any hint that I was on the verge of another meltdown. When she was finally convinced I'd be fine, she nodded once and stood.

"That was Carlisle on the phone. I said we shouldn't panic - and I'm still standing by that - but the news isn't good."

I closed my eyes and steeled myself, waiting for whatever horror was coming next.

"They have Charlie at the hospital, but they're having trouble controlling him. Edward has run off into the woods, and Emmett and Esme are tracking him. Jasper is with Alice, watching her carefully for any changes in her emotional or mental state."

She paused. Apparently, everyone was still alive that we knew of which was really good news, but I knew the bad news was coming.

"But…"

She sighed. "But, it looks like a contagion of some sort, and we should prepare for the worst."

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. A contagion? It made sense. Man becomes sick, bites impenetrable vampire skin, bitten vampire shows same signs and bites annoying pixie sister. This wasn't good at all, but I had to remind myself of my earlier pep talk. There was more going on than we initially realized and all of the Cullen's needed to focus so that they could help Charlie, and now Edward. I had to keep it together.

"Okay, let's prepare. What can I do to help?" I said, hoping to find something to do to keep my mind off of the day's events. I didn't need another panic attack. I'm not sure my neck would survive another round with Mrs. Weeble-Wobble.

She smiled at me, "First, Carlisle wanted me to check to make sure you're physically healthy. You haven't been feeling ill at all, Bella? Nothing out of the ordinary?"

I shook my head, "No. Well, I've been nauseous but I'm sure that's from nerves…"_Or my father's face looking like it belonged to a garbage pail kid_, I thought. "It went away when Jasper was calming me."

"Good. In that case, I think we should go pick up some food at that 24 hour Wal-Mart in Port Angeles. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get you some clothes while we're there. They wouldn't be things that Alice would pick out for you, but they'll do in a pinch. I'm going to grab a few things out of the garage, and I'll pack the car, just to be sure. Why don't you freshen up, and then call for me when you're ready?"

"Sounds good, but I don't have that kind of money. Can't we just stop by and pick up some things from my house?"

She sighed and shook her head, "No, Bella. They could be infected with whatever Charlie and Edward have. Don't worry about the money. You know we have plenty of it. Alice spends more on one outfit than we could possibly spend tonight."

I felt uncomfortable, but I didn't argue. Instead, I went upstairs. I bypassed Edward's bathroom, because I didn't want to dwell on what was going on with him, and decided to use Rosalie and Emmett's instead. I splashed some cool water on my face, and then ran my fingers through my hair, trying to undo some of the tangles. I ended up quickly pulling it back in a braid, borrowing one of Rose's hair doodads. I looked in the mirror. I still looked like hell. I had dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, and I was paler than normal, probably due to stress.

I glanced at the clock as I headed downstairs—it was three a.m.—and called out to Rose. In an instant, she was standing next to me without a hair out of place, as always. We walked outside and Edward's Vanquish was sitting in the driveway, already running.

I looked at Rose curiously, and she shrugged. "Well, I figured the faster, the better, just in case. Plus, the Vanquish's trunk is surprisingly roomy." I was still staring at her, disbelief painted on my face. I couldn't believe she was taking Edward's baby out to Wal-Mart of all places. "Oh, hell! I don't get a chance to drive it very often and Edward isn't here to argue. And we really do need to be as fast as possible."

I didn't argue. It would be Rose's ass if anything happened to this car if—no, _when_—Edward got better. I just climbed in the passenger seat and tried not to get my fingerprints on anything.

Rose climbed in, flashed a dazzling smile at me, and then peeled out, taking off like a bat out of hell. We made it to Port Angeles in record time, found a parking spot right up front and headed inside.

I pushed a cart and followed behind Rose, who had grabbed another cart, as she threw seemingly random items into the buggies: paper towels, real towels, toilet paper, baby wipes, shampoo, a camp stove, canned food, rice, enough bottled water to last a year, and so on. Then, we went to the clothes and bought socks, underwear, jeans, t-shirts, and sweats for me. I didn't even bother trying them on. I just bought my size and we kept going. I made sure to grab a nice, fluffy towel as well. We were done in a little over an hour.

"While I check out, why don't you go get you something to eat over there, Bella?" Rose pointed to the little McDonald's that was near the exit. I nodded and headed off to order me a happy meal. _Lord knows I needed some fucking happy in my system right about now. _ But, it was technically breakfast time, so I couldn't order a happy meal. I gave the employee a scowl and ordered pancakes. The scowl must've worked, because he threw a toy on the tray at the last second.

I could've sworn I heard him mumble something about needing sunshine pumped up my ass as I walked away, but I was too hungry and tired to care. It wasn't like I was voting_ him_ "Employee of the Year".

I was taking my time eating and poking at my pancakes, figuring it would take Rose quite a while to check out since the cashier was too busy staring at her tits to do his job properly, when my night got even worse. Jessica, Lauren, Tyler, and Mike appeared—obviously drunk, high, or both.

Mike saw me first and smiled, waving in an exaggerated fashion. Jessica ignored me. But, Lauren stumbled over with a sneer on her rat-like face.

"Well, Bella. What brings you here so early in the morning? Are you just too embarrassed to buy your clothes here when people are actually around?"

"Or, she just spent the evening with her friend, and they're catching a quick breakfast before they go home to their extremely sexy boyfriends. Who are you with, Lauren? Tyler? Yeah, his face looks like a cat's ass."

Everyone spun to see Rose standing behind them, her face reverted to that 'who farted' look. It was less than 24 hours ago that I thought Rose was scary, but not as scary as they did. It was hilarious watching all four of them hurry to a corner of the restaurant - as far away from us as they could get - looking like they were ready to shit their pants.

Rose shot them one more scathing look, then sat down across from me. I saw a flash of a smile and a wink, before she went back into queen bitch mode.

"So, Rose, why did we buy all that stuff? A camp stove? Really? I'm not a camper, just so you know."

She fucking giggled at me. "Well, you might have to be. It's just a precaution in case we need to leave the area, or more importantly, hide in the area."

"What do you mean _hide_?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and waited for her to answer. She waited for Mike to pass us before she simply stated, "We have an old farmhouse in Hoquiam. It has a fallout shelter that was built in the late 1930s by someone that didn't have video games, so they were obsessed with real-life disasters." That would be Emmett. "I just wanted to buy a few things to stick in there to be prepared. I doubt we'll use it, but Carlisle thought it would be a good idea."

_Wow, Carlisle thought it would be a good idea. I wonder why?_

I was starting to get tired. I finished my meal quickly and we headed back to the Cullen's. Rose wasn't t driving quite as fast, so I leaned against the window and closed my eyes, hoping to get some rest.

Something suddenly jolted me awake, and my head banged against the window. I yelped and rubbed the sore spot as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. I was being jostled around roughly and wondered what the hell Rose was doing to the Vanquish.

"What the hell is going on?" I snapped, looking at Rose like she'd lost her damn mind.

"I'm sorry, Bella..." we both cringed as she hit something else, causing us both to bob up and down like we were on a carnival ride, "But we're having to take a detour."

Finally getting my bearings, I looked out the window and saw trees. Lots and lots of tress. We were obviously deep in the forest somewhere, traveling along an overgrown dirt road. That explained why it felt like I was inside of a blender.

_I wonder if Rose thought to buy margarita mix and tequila while at Wal-Mart?_

"What do you mean a detour? Where are we?" I asked, holding a little tighter to the "oh, shit" bar hanging above the door.

She growled in frustration as we continued to hit pot hole after pot hole on the dusty road. She was going as fast as she could without completely destroying the car.

"Carlisle called." She said, like it explained everything.

"And?" I pressed, my patience wearing thin. I also felt a little car sick. I was already worried about the reaction Edward was going to have when he was what Rose was doing to his precious car, so ruining the upholstery was not on my to-do list at the moment.

Suddenly, the bouncing ceased as Rose pulled the car to a stop. I looked around, seeing the first light of day peaking over the tree tops. I'd been asleep longer than I had thought I had.

Things were starting to click into place as I saw the small metal shack in the middle of Nowheresville with a run-down farmhouse barely visible through the trees. It was apparent that this was the bomb shelter that Rose told me about at McDonald's. It was too small to be an actual dwelling, and if you looked close enough, you could see the foundation of it burrowing into the dirt below.

"Rose," I nearly choked the one word, trying to find my place in the world again. This could not be happening. If we were coming here, then that meant... "It was more than just an ordinary infection, wasn't it?"

I didn't want to hear the answer. I knew, deep down, that my life was going to change forever. The Cullen's had always been protective of me, but they had never went overboard to the point of wanting me to stay in a bomb shelter.

My life was about to change, and I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that it wasn't just _my_ life that was about to be affected.

Rose sighed, finally garnering my attention enough to turn away from what, I assumed, was about to become my home.

"No, Bella. Carlisle's not sure what it is just yet, but he thought it would be best if precautions were taken with your safety. Since we planned ahead and got all the supplies you would need, he thought it would be best if I went ahead and brought you here. We'll stay until he gives us the all clear to return to Forks."

She got out of the car, leaving me dumbfounded and terrified. It was my worst nightmare come true. Whatever it was that had made Charlie so sick was transferable to vampires. That fact alone was enough to make me want to crawl in a hole somewhere.

_Well, you're about to get your wish there, cupcake. You are sitting right outside a bomb shelter._

I took several breaths to calm myself before finally exiting the car. Rose was racing back and forth between the trunk and the shelter at vampire speed, so by the time I got my shit together and got out, she had already unloaded everything.

"I'm sorry. I should have helped you with that," I said, feeling guilty that she was doing all the work. She waved me off with a 'nonsense' and motioned me towards the shelter.

Every step felt like a weight was being added onto my shoulders. The large corrugated door seemed so ominous. It was open as wide as it could go, and I could see the concrete stairs leading down into God knows what. This was all so surreal to me. I had so many questions and so many fears to voice that I didn't know where to start first.

I stopped just outside of the entrance, wanting to prolong being shut in for as long as I could. I knew I had to enter through that doorway eventually, but as I watched the sun rising through the trees, I felt like it was the last time I'd ever see it again. I needed this moment of reflection before plummeting into the dark.

Rose looked at me curiously before saying, "It's going to be alright, Bella. Carlisle is doing everything he can to stop the spread of the contagion… Whatever it is."

This caught my attention.

"Spread? Have there been more?" I was suddenly very aware of how little I really did know. "And don't you leave one thing out, Rosalie Hale! I deserve to know!"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I would never withhold information from you, Bella. It's just difficult for me to process. Yes, there have been more. Charlie was able to bite a doctor and three nurses before..." she trailed off before she looked at me hesitantly.

"Before what?" I asked in a near panic, "Is my father still alive?"

I was now clinging to her shirt, without even realizing I had taken the steps towards her. Charlie couldn't be dead. He just couldn't. The very thought of it sent me into a spiraling abyss of terror.

If Charlie was dead, there was a possibility that Edward might be too. Losing my father would be hard enough, but losing Edward with him would damn near kill me. The guilt over everything that had happened the last few days wasn't helping.

"Calm down, Bella," Rose said as loud, shaky sobs left my throat. I could feel the hot, wet tears streaming down my face. "Charlie isn't dead… that we know of."

Relief.

My father was alive, at least, and as she revealed this bit of news to me, I could feel my body starting to relax. The sobs disappeared as I rejoiced in the news my father was still alive.

But then something about what she had said caught my attention.

"That you know of?" I asked as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"Well, Charlie was able to break free of his restraints. Then, he bit the doctor and the nurses as they tried to tie him back down. He was just too strong for them. He escaped from the hospital a few hours ago."

"He escaped?" I repeated, not wanting to think of my father out biting people, even though that seemed to be all the rage nowadays. Well, everyone but me. Rosalie ignored me and continued.

"By the time Carlisle was informed of what happened, Charlie was long gone. Carlisle's needed at the hospital right now, more than anything, but planned to ask Jasper to find him, that is, if Alice is doing any better." She didn't seem to like this bit of information, but I knew if Edward had shown the same symptoms as Charlie after being bitten, it was inevitable that Alice would too after being bitten by Edward.

There would be no hope in finding my father right now. Not until this situation was under control. Realizing the severity of the situation, I was kind of happy to be here in the shelter. At least, I wouldn't to worry about anyone I loved trying to take a bite out of me. Not that it wasn't a normal daily possibility for me, since I was so close to a family of vampires.

Rose's phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. She quickly answered it and put it on speaker. It was sweet of her to try and include me in what was going on. I really was starting to like her, and hoped that whatever this was between us would continue after this whole nightmare was done.

"Em?"

"Hey, baby," he answered her, but his tone was off. You could literally hear the stress in his voice and that made me nervous. "Did you make it to the shelter?"

"Yes, we just got here and everything is unloaded. We are about to go in and lock the doors," she said, giving me a pointed look that I was not to argue about this.

"Good. Is Bella alright?" My heart swelled with love for my big brother, and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my lips at hearing his concern.

"I'm alright, Em. How are you doing?" I asked, hoping to get some information from him while assuring him that I was fine.

"That's good, baby girl. We're doing okay. We lost Edward's trail a few minutes ago and Esme is searching to see if she can find it again. Her nose is a lot better than mine," he chuckled, trying to lighten the somber mood.

"Have you heard from Jasper or Alice?" Rose asked.

"No. We haven't had contact with either of them in a while. I'm starting to worry about them. I know Jasper can handle himself, but whatever the fuck this thing is that's affecting Edward has him bat shit crazy. I thought the boy was a nut before, but the things I've seen him do the past few hours..." he trailed off, likely trying to expel the thoughts of what he was telling us.

The stress was making me want to vomit again.

"I just hope he can handle her by himself if she contracts this _thing_," he finally said.

"Try not to worry too much about him, Emmett. Jasper is the strongest one out of all of us. If anyone can handle this, it's him," Rose said. I had to agree with her. Jasper was quiet and reserved, but he had an underlying vibe that said, "I'm a badass, so don't fuck with me". It was rather hot if I was being honest with myself, but I quickly decided I was a heathen liar and I shouldn't think about that right now while my bat shit crazy boyfriend was running through the forests nomming on God knows what.

A loud piercing scream rang through the other end of the phone, causing me, and even Rose, to jump from the sound. It was Esme, that much was certain, but the sounds that she was making were terrifying.

"Oh, fuck!" We heard Emmett say, and then there were other sounds. Snarling, crashes, and the distinctive sound of teeth snapping.

Vampire teeth.

I froze, not sure what the hell was happening. I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but Rosalie's mate was on the other end of that phone and she was damn near hysterical. She called Emmett's name over and over again, demanding to know what was going on.

The sounds got quieter for a few moments. It was obvious he had dropped the phone, so he could fight off whatever it was that attacking Esme, but then they got louder again. Rose was now nearly sobbing for Emmett to answer her, when finally the phone went dead.

"Emmett! Answer me, Emmett!" Rose was screamed into the phone. I didn't know what to think or do. I just stood there, watching Rose break down for the first time and feeling my heart shatter from her pain and my own.

After she finally accepted that he was not on the phone anymore, she got eerily quiet for all of four seconds. Four long, terrifying seconds passed before all hell broke loose.

She ran at vampire speed to the car, snatched some stuff out of the backseat and ran them into the shelter. She was back at my side in a matter of seconds.

"Whatever you do, Bella, don't open the door. You got that? I do not care if the President of the United States in on the other side of this door, you do not open it until I get back. Do you understand me?" She dragged me by my arm through the shed doors, down the cement steps, before shoving me into the underground room. I stared at the huge metal door, and I felt my heart jump into my throat.

"What? What do you mean, Rose? You aren't leaving me here!" I screamed. I didn't want to be alone right now. I couldn't be alone. I needed her here to keep me from losing my mind. I was close to that point already.

"I have to. I don't know what kind of trouble he is in, but I have to go to him," she said as she pushed me through the doors. It was dark and damp inside, that much I could tell already. I didn't want to go in there _with_ her, much less alone.

"You can't..."

"Bella," she snapped, and grabbed my shoulders to stop my flailing to get out. She looked me deep in the eyes, willing me to understand, "He is my mate, my _everything_. I can't live without him. He needs me right now. I have to go him, and I can't take you with me. Please... please understand. I have no choice."

The look in her eyes caused me to stop my struggle. She would lock me in here all alone, all because her reason for existing was in trouble. It was something I couldn't deny her. Even though I thought it was reckless and insane for her to go, it wasn't really a choice for her. She had to try.

I nodded my head, letting her know I understood. I couldn't find it in me to voice the words I was thinking, but my simple gesture of understanding was all she needed - not that it would have mattered anyway.

She gave me a tight hug and kissed my forehead before motioning me back from the door, and pulling on the handle. She stopped, turning to look at me seriously, "I mean it. Do not open this door to anyone. You have everything you should need here. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, she exited and shut the door behind her with a bang. I stood still, not moving a muscle as I listened to the only sounds discernable down here: my breathing, the whirring of an exhaust fan somewhere, and the occasional water drip. She was gone so quickly that I hadn't had time to process much of what had just happened.

My vision blurred as I robotically grabbed the white, fluffy towel I'd insisted on getting. After Rose had said, "Don't Panic!" all I could think of was, "Don't forget your towel." Somehow, it did comfort me. I was able to calm myself enough to make sure the door was secure. It felt as if I was on auto-pilot. I was starting to feel numb. I knew it was my bodies way of coping with everything, but I was too zombiefied to care anymore.

Turning the large wheel on the backside of the door, I listened to the clanking of the metal and the clicking of the lock. Resting my head against cool metal, I shut my eyes and let the tears and sobs flow freely.

This was my life now. Living underground in the dark, damp shelter while everyone I knew and loved was fighting for their lives on the outside against some unknown force. I had never felt more trapped in my entire life.

This was the end of the world as we knew it. And I did NOT feel fine.

* * *

**END NOTE:** ******It really sucks to be Bella right now. Hit the button and well us what you think. We have a thread up on the TwiWrite forums so come play. Just remove the (dot) and add a real one. (wink)**

**http:/twiwrite**** (dot) net/forums/viewtopic (dot) php?f=11&t=73**

**Also, for those interested, we post pictures with every chapter over on TwiWrite to go along with the chapter. We'd do that here, but FFN won't let us. (pout) **

******Thanks for reading. See you next week.**

******HammerHips & JaspersIzzy**


	5. Chapter 4 Isolation

**AN: Again, thanks to every single one of you for the reviews and love you have for this story so far. We do appreciate every single one. (Don't forget to check out the note following the chapter!)**

**Uber thanks to givemesomevamp for being our awesome beta, and thanks to Edward'sChipper and cullen818 for being the bestest prereaders evar! We love y'all! **

**SMeyer still owns Twilight, but you already know that, don't ya?**

I realized I was still panting, panicked from being in this shitty hole in the ground, alone. Panicked because Edward, Alice, and Charlie were running loose with some sort of _contagion, _which they could be spreading to the rest of Forks. Everyone I knew was out there and at risk of catching whatever this thing was. As if I didn't feel like shit enough already, I now felt guilty that I was here, safe and sound.

I had to have faith that Carlisle could fix this.

For the first time, I took a good look around the shabby little shelter and cringed at the sight. I hoped I wouldn't be left here very long.

Shelves covered in dust and cobwebs lined three walls, stacked to the ceiling with various supplies. I noticed a few big-ass spiders, but chose to ignore them. The actual size of the shelter was larger than what I had expected, so I could stay far enough away from them in the time being.

Since I didn't know how long I'd be here, I decided to do a bit of cleaning while I explored—and maybe try to kill some bugs while I was at it. I don't like bugs, and I could see a few large beetles and slugs that sent shivers down my spine. Normally, I would just have Charlie or Edward kill them for me, but they weren't here. Of course, if they _were_ here, they would be more interested in chewing on my ass than killing bugs.

_Stop thinking about it, you dork, _I chided myself. I really needed a distraction. There was no telling what else was in here, so I decided I might as well try and take my mind off of the horrors that were unfolding around me by discovering some possible hidden treasures. I hoped like hell that didn't include larger bugs.

Being mindful of the possibility there were things with many legs that could be hiding anywhere, I found a broom and a duster in a tiny, metal closet near the front door. I tied a rag around my face and began dusting. For all the boxes that were around, there sure wasn't much here that I could actually use right away, and I was surprised at how well the supplies had stood the test of time down here. There were two huge, metal drums marked "Sanitation Kit". I opened one up to find it full of plastic bags, toilet paper, cups, a can marked "waterless hand cleaner", gloves, an instruction booklet, and a little plastic toilet seat that sat on top of the drum.

_Lovely._

Although, it was weird that the Cullens would have this in their shelter, I shrugged it off to them keeping up appearances if anyone came across it. I was actually glad Rose wasn't here now - although I was worried about her - because I couldn't imagine sitting and taking a shit in a barrel with her in the same room. I sat one up in the corner between the shelves and took an old plastic tarp and hung it up, so it would still feel like I had some privacy—even if I was the only one in here.

I found plenty of boxes marked "medical supplies" and rummaged through them briefly. Everything had expired and the alcohol had evaporated, so the only usable things were the gauze and bandages. It would probably come in handy if I had to stay here more than a few hours.

There was one whole shelf devoted to different types of Geiger counters, and I couldn't help but chuckle at Emmett for his thoroughness. Too bad they only worked for radiation… I could really use one that could detect weird shit that made vampires rabid right about now. There was also a huge radio that looked like an odd science experiment from the 20's. After studying the thing for a moment, I figured you how to turn it on, but I couldn't get a signal. Rosalie had bought a tiny battery powered one, so I just dusted it and turned it off.

There were quite a few things that had deteriorated. I found a box I could use as a trash bin and filled it up, then swept and dumped as much dust as I could in there and closed it back up. I uncovered the art deco furniture—off white, of course. After a few hours, I had a comfortable space to try and relax at least, even though I knew it would be impossible.

I unpacked the things Rosalie had bought and placed them on an empty shelf, leaving the camp stove on the small table so I could prepare something to eat. I didn't know what time it was—the one thing that was missing was a working clock—but I knew it had been a while since I ate. I ended up boiling some water and making some instant oatmeal. It wasn't the best meal, but it would do.

I couldn't help but notice that only one set of clothes made it into the bunker. The rest had been left in the back seat. _Shit! _That really sucked. A clean pair of skivvies could always make a girl feel better. I thought about going out to the Vanquish and grabbing the clothes, but Rosalie had told me to stay put, and I didn't know if I'd be able to close that heavy door by myself in a hurry. I just hoped I wouldn't be here very long.

After cleaning up, I noticed the dust I had disturbed swirling through the air. I knew the Cullen's would have no need to breathe, but they had kept up appearances so far. Maybe there was some way to ventilate this place?

After looking around for a while, I found a panel full of switches by the front door that I had overlooked. Studying it carefully, I was able to make out the labels and found one for ventilation. I held my breath as I flipped it, hoping I wasn't about to blow myself up or start a fire from the old electrical system.

_I wouldn't put it past Emmett to booby trap something down here. _

A loud creak made me jump, and was soon followed by a whirring noise. I listened intently and followed the noise. Looking up, I saw an opening in the ceiling. The whirling was caused by an old, rusty fan that was providing fresh air.

There wasn't much left to do, so I just laid back on the couch to think. The dust had cleared out nicely and the air was much cleaner. I listened to the old, rickety fan whir, bringing fresh air into the underground structure and noticed a strange, metal square on the low ceiling. It had a latch, similar to the front door, and I couldn't help but wonder _what_ it was.

Hell, I didn't have anything better to do. I pulled one of the armchairs directly beneath it, and balanced precariously on the wooden arms so I could reach the handle. It took me a few tries to get it to move, but I did. It swung downward, dropping bracken and debris down on my head, causing me to lose my balance and topple, ass over tea kettle, to the floor. Falling on a cement floor didn't exactly feel wonderful. I knew it would leave a few bruises, but luckily, I didn't break anything.

As I sat unceremoniously on my keester, I tried to gather my thoughts again. It took me all of 1.8 seconds to realize leaves and debris weren't the only thing that had been hiding in that hole. My eyes widened in terror as I saw the giant beetles now scurrying up my leg in irritation from being disturbed. What was worse were the slugs the size of Swamp Thing's dick that were now slithering up my arm and cheek.

I let out a scream that would make Richard Simmons proud, as I went ape shit trying to get those nasty fuckers off. To an outsider, I'm sure it would have been quite comical to see me clawing at my skin and dancing around like a chicken to get them off of me. I might have slapped myself in the eye a time or two as I clawed at my cheeks and my mouth.

Before long I was as naked as the day I was born and satisfied I had murdered every single one of the bastards in sight. My heart was pounding and my adrenal gland was working overtime, but fuck if I didn't feel like Xena: Warrior Princess after that. I'd have to work on my battle cry, though. Squealing like a three year old didn't exactly incite terror into the creepy crawlers.

I brushed the remaining leaves and dirt out of my hair, and looked up to see a thick wire grate covering a small tunnel to the surface. I suppose that vampires would only need to survive the initial blast at ground zero if there were a bomb, so it made sense that they'd install a window for a bit of sunlight. I was grateful for it, too.

It wasn't large enough to climb in or out of - only about a foot in diameter - but it was enough that I could get a little bit of fresh air and sunshine…if the sun decided to actually show itself here. I quickly cleaned up the mess I'd made and put the chair back in its proper place. Shaking out my clothes to make sure there weren't any savages hiding in any of the sleeves or pockets, I dressed quickly, laid down on the cold cement floor, and looked up into my tiny pinhole of sky.

I laid there, humming to myself and wondering what was going on out _there_, but I promised Rose I'd stay here until she returned. For the Cullens. For Edward. For Charlie.

If they survived...

If not, I'd be down here, by myself, until I ran out of food and water and wasted away - my eyes bulging from dehydration like Charlie's had in my last memory of him.

Eventually, I was able to force those thoughts from my memories, allowing myself to doze off a few times. Then, my stomach started rumbling again, so I got up and ate a granola bar and drank some water. I slept some more and dreamt that I was drowning in a lake of black, coagulated blood. Charlie and Edward were standing at the edge of the water, unresponsive. They paid me no attention, even after I went under. I heard other people yelling my name - screaming at me - but I couldn't see them. I struggled to get to the surface, but couldn't ever quite reach it. I bumped into something under the water and opened my eyes to see Alice's lifeless face in front of me - her eyes missing from their sockets. More screaming.

The screaming was me.

I woke covered in a sheen of sweat, gasping for air. My blood pounded in my ears.

It was just a dream.

But the distant yells were not.

They were yelling my name. I sat up, listening more intently, trying to figure out who the voices belonged to as they grew closer and closer.

Jessica's was unmistakable. I was sure the others belonged to Lauren, Mike, and Tyler.

_Should I call back to them? Let them know where I am? No. Rose said not to let anyone in. We don't know where this shit came from, and if anyone is a petri dish of infections and diseases, it would be Lauren Mallory._

I thought about pulling the chair over to close the window, but that would make some noise. I didn't want to attract any attention until I knew they were out of the area.

"Bella, we know you're out here. The Cullens' car is unmistakable." Shit, I forgot about the Vanquish. There would be no hiding now. Didn't mean I had to answer though.

"Mike heard you in McDonald's with Rosalie Hale! You have to let us in! There's some weird shit spreading out here like herpes, you bitch!"

_Yeah, call me a bitch, Lauren. That'll make me open up. And I'm sure you know a lot about herpes, you skank! …and Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Genital Warts, Crotch Rot…I bet the list goes on and on._

"Be nice, Lauren! Please, Bella, Rosalie? Can you hear us? I need help!" The voice was raspy, but it was unmistakably Mike.

_Shit! I shouldn't help them. I shouldn't. Rose told me not to, but they need my help. Of course, if I let them in, we'd all share my luxurious toilet accommodations. That would be a wee bit embarrassing._

"Please, guys! Mike's been bitten! Some weirdo just started gnawing on his arm. We need help and we know you know something or you wouldn't have been talking about a shelter out here!"

Charlie bit Edward. Edward bit Alice. Nope, being bitten is not a good thing. Definitely not opening the door.

But, should I warn them? Maybe tell them to get Mike to a hospital. Tell them to find Carlisle and see if he can help.

But, I spent too long debating whether or not I should call out to them.

I heard someone gasp, "Alice? Is that you?" _Alice is here? But, if Edward had bitten her... oh no._

"What the fuck?" I heard Jessica squeak. I knew it was too late, "Run, she's been bit ..."

Her words were cut off by a groan, and then screams filled the air, along with moans, growls, and…a squelching sound that I had never heard before. There was also a popping noise, followed by bubbling wetness. Every time I heard it the screams would become louder.

_Oh holy fuck, Alice is eating our classmates!_ I remembered Edward telling me that I could never see him hunt because vampires rely on their baser instincts, so he could turn on me in a second. That meant Alice could do the same. Although I wanted nothing more than to help my friends that were above ground - for the first time in my life - my survival instincts kicked in.

I realized I was looking up through a hole. It would be impossible for a human to make their way through it, but a vampire probably could. Hoping that Alice was distracted enough not to listen to what I was doing, I scooted the chair over as quietly as I could. When it was lined up underneath the hole, I stood on it precariously once again.

The screams had been replaced by gurgling. There wasn't a second to waste. I looked up and saw Alice staring down at me with a piece of human flesh hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Blood was smeared across her forehead and down the side of her neck. Her cheek was cracked open; a silver and green fluid leaked from it. One of her eyes was bulging slightly and was the same color as her now grayish-tinted skin.

She was horrifying to look at, but the smell, _oh God_, the smell was putrid. I could feel the bile rise in my throat as it hit my nose. It smelled like decayed meat, and I was positive I'd never eat another steak again.

This person was foreign to me. Not the best friend I had seen not long ago. She had turned into something gruesome and frightening. I saw no signs that the Alice I knew was still in there. Looking into her black eyes, I knew she was gone.

I screamed and slammed the metal door closed with a bang. She shook the metal grate covering the shaft, and I could feel the vibrations from her attempts to reach me as I latched the window covering and collapsed in the chair. I tried to steady my breathing so I wouldn't have a full on panic attack as I listened to the sound of her beating on the grate. The distant moans and growls echoed all around me.

I was going to die and the Prada Princess was going to eat me. And if she was out here by herself that meant that she had managed to get away from Jasper. She was Jasper's everything - just like Emmett was Rose's everything. That meant something horrible must've happened to Jasper.

With every muffled bang, I spiraled further into the land of hopelessness. I was alone, all the people that I loved were out there trying to save me and trying to save each other, and I was helpless. My only choices were to stay here and wait on the off chance that someone would survive and come to save me, or I could open the door and walk straight into the arms of Alice. Into the arms of death.

As I sat contemplating if I wanted to die by being drained and ripped apart by walking outside into the arms of the diseased vampire, or wait until the diseased vampire broke through the bunker and ripped me apart, I noticed something about the banging.

It wasn't getting closer.

I mean, I'd seen the vamps do some pretty extraordinary things, so it should be fairly easy for Alice to rip the grate off of the shaft and dig her putrid ass down to me. But she wasn't.

Either this disease caused everyone to come up a few crayons short of a full box, or it took away vamp super strength. Because she should've been standing in front of me by now, gnawing on my face. But she wasn't.

Of course, it was Alice, so she could be worried about getting dirt under her fingernails or on her brand new Gucci skirt. No, from what I noticed of her clothes, they were pretty nasty already. I couldn't imagine a world where a sane Alice Cullen would allow herself out of the closet looking like she did.

I filed that away in the "shit to think about when I wasn't pissing my pants in fear" category.

I sat and listened intently. It could have been minutes or hours, I don't know because I didn't have a fucking clock in here. For the first time ever, I found myself wishing I wore a watch. The banging continued, but it didn't get louder, just more annoying.

_I guess I have another choice after all. I could die alone in a bunker with a metal drum as a toilet, surrounded by diseased vampire retards and bugs the size of rodents. Fuck! Rodents! I bet the ones down here would give the Rodents of Unusual Size a run for their money. Hell, I could deal with them. At least I wouldn't be ripped apart._

As the time and the banging went on, I grew restless. Although not remotely hungry, I tried to busy myself by cooking some rice on the camp stove. I was always aware of the really hungry vampire and her attempts to reach me. It never ceased.

The noise reminded me that I was alone and helpless. It reminded me that it could be the rest of the Cullens and Charlie trying to get in. But most of all, it reminded me that there might not be any hope left for me.

I added some beans to go with the rice since I didn't have butter or soy sauce, hoping that I would become gassy enough that I'd die from asphyxiation. I heard that wasn't a bad way to go.

No. I had to stay alive. Just in case someone survived. They might need me.

The banging continued.

I ate dinner, washed my dishes using the water as sparingly as I could, and kept listening to the rattle of the metal above me. It was unending.

Then, it suddenly changed.

Bang. My stomach clenched.

It was the door.

Bang. Alice was still above.

Bang. Muffled moans.

More than one at the door.

Bang. On the grates above.

Bang. On the door.

I ran to the barrel just in time to heave into my makeshift toilet, spilling the contents of my meal.

If they got in, it could be the last meal I would ever have. That would really suck. Too bad I didn't think to grab some Hot Pockets and Chunky Monkey while we were at Wal-Mart. It would have been a much better last meal than rice and beans.

I heaved again, knowing that there was no one here to protect me. I didn't even have anything I could use as a weapon in case they got in. How exactly does one protect themselves against an undead vampire who wants to eat your kidney? A broom? I could throw canned food at them. Now I didn't even have beans in my stomach to create farts of steel. I was screwed.

I recovered from my upchucking episode and went to sit on the couch, listening to the bangs and the moans. I jumped with every one, my hair standing on end, and I did the only thing I could do. I waited, I listened, and I tried not to piss my pants. After all, I didn't have another pair.

The noises outside were the only constant. My thoughts were swirling with without purpose or reason. Nothing made sense, nothing mattered, nothing moved, only the noise remained.

It was making me insane.

Is there really such a thing as insanity in a world that's gone insane?

_Oh, that's an interesting thought; I should write that down somewhere. _ I looked around and finally found a single ink pen, but no paper. I pulled out the roll of paper towels, unrolled a few, and began to write.

**A/N: If you love this story half as much as we love writing it, then it would be in your best interest to put it on alert today. Yes, we have some surprises in store for you! 'Nuff said.**


	6. Chapter 5 Goodbye

I really don't know what to write, but I have nothing better to do so I figured I better get something down on paper in case… well, in case I die a horrible death down here.

Whoever finds this, if by some odd chance I pull an Elvis and die on that toilet in the corner, do me a favor and pull my pants up and sit me on the couch. The way my life is going right now, that's exactly how I'm going to die.

I always thought I'd die climbing into the shower, that way I'd be naked in a ridiculous pose with my ass sticking up in the air. I don't know what's worse: toilet death or shower death. Crap. I'm getting off track, here.

This letter is for the people I care about: Renee and Charlie, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Edward.

Charlie, I don't really know what to say to you except that I didn't tell you often enough how much I truly care about you. Dad, I feel bad. I didn't hug you enough. I didn't tell you how much you meant to me. I'd give anything to have just one more minute with you so I could say I love you. I feel like I'll never get the chance now. I'm so scared for your life after what I witnessed in your bedroom. I can only pray that Carlisle will find a cure and bring you back to me.

Mom, I know you have Phil now and he'll get you through this if you lose me. Just know that I loved your crazy ass, and I'll never forget you. Don't forget to charge your cell phone. Keep buying the planners I always bought for you and write down when you need to pay bills and what groceries you need to buy. I love you.

Carlisle and Esme, you both welcomed me into your family with open arms and gave me the love and affection I always craved and didn't even know it. Thank you. If everyone survives this but me, take care of Edward for me.

Rosalie, we were just starting to get to know each other, but I already thought of you as a sister. A really bitchy older sister. You taught me that being bitchy isn't necessarily a bad thing. Thanks for that. I just wish I had time to really put that bit of wisdom into effect.

Emmett, we might not have been related, but you are my big brother. You gave the best hugs, you made sure none of the boys picked on me in school, and you were always there when I needed you. You were goofy. You made me laugh and you laughed at my clumsiness. I love you, big bro.

Alice, you annoyed me by trying to change my clothes, but you were always there for me, even when I didn't think I needed you. You were there before I even knew I needed help, and I will always love you for that. You were my first best friend besides my mother, and you will always hold a special place in my heart.

Jasper, I don't know you as well as the rest of your family, but you were always there to protect me. You calmed me when no one else could. I have always felt at peace in your presence, even when you weren't using your gift, and I think that has to do more with who you are than what you can do. I was just beginning to see a side of you that was fun and silly. I really wish I could have gotten to know you better. I think I would have seen you as a brother just like I do Emmett. Take care of the rest of the Cullens for me, alright?

Edward, hell, I don't know what to say. I always thought we'd be together forever. I mean _forever_. And now, well, I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'd like to think we would have worked things out if we had the time. I do love you and I always will. I'm sorry that the last conversation we had was an argument. I will keep hoping that Carlisle will be able to help all of you and that we'll get our second chance.

I love you all and I hope to see you again soon. Really soon. Seriously, the bugs in here are bigger than me! If not, then take care of each other.

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**A/N: This chapter is posted with special effects (noises and pics) on Twiwrite if you're interested! Thanks, as always, to givemesomevamp, cullen818, and Edward'sChipper.**


	7. Chapter 6 Silence

Well, there isn't much to do down here except write, eat, and attempt to sleep, so I guess I'll write a bit more. There isn't even a book, unless you count the user manual for the radio. I think I'll pass on that one. I'm sure the movie will be better.

Speaking of the radio, I tried the one Rose bought. It isn't a fancy survival radio, just a dinky little thing. I can't get any reception down here. Maybe I could if I opened the shaft, but I don't want Alice drooling all over me. Plus, there could be more slugs now. I hate slugs.

I just realized I'm not thinking about the banging right now, just what I'm writing. Well, at least this is something to do to keep my mind off of the banging and moaning. It's not like I can sleep. The banging just refuses to stop. It continues and continues, and it seems to grow louder in my head. I'm at my wits end.

When I do dream, it's always a dream where I'm buried alive… or I'm drowning… or I'm being chased. The bangs and moans haunt me even in my sleep. They never go away. Until I find a way to block out those noises, there's no chance I'll get any sleep. There aren't any earplugs down here; I just looked. Just one more thing we weren't prepared for. Of course, who knew we'd be preparing for an epidemic?

…...

Actually, I did just have a good idea. I took some tiny scraps of toilet paper, balled them up, and stuck them in my ears… Silence. It's a beautiful thing.

Maybe now I can sleep. I know I need to before the lack of sleep makes me go crazy. I read somewhere that after three days you can start hallucinating without enough sleep. That's the last thing I need.

Well, here I go. With the silence, sleep should come a bit easier.

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A/N: Super big thank yous to givemesomevamp (our beta), and cullen818 and Edward'sChipper (our prereaders). Thank you, ladies!


	8. Chapter 7 Supplies

Well, the earplugs have been doing me some good. At least I've been able to rest for a few hours at a time. Of course, it could have been minutes for each nap. I think each one was a few hours, though. Really, I have no clue…not having a watch is so annoying! Days. Hours. Months. Does it really matter? I wonder how long I've been down here…

What have I done since the last time I wrote? Well, every time I wake up, I replace the wads of toilet paper in my ears, because they fall out or get all nasty. I make something to eat, and then I try to write. It took me forever to get this pen to work again. The ink seems to work intermittently. I wish the banging was intermittent. Nope, it's not.

And now I'm hearing it all the time again since I need to start saving my supplies. I've been down here for seven rolls of toilet paper and twelve meals. Whatever that means. I know I can't keep using the TP for earplugs. It's a must unless I want to start wiping my ass with something else. I think the water and food supply will last me another month. With the bean shits, I need all the toilet paper I can get.

The gauze isn't an option either. Rose and I didn't grab tampons and I don't even want to think about not being prepared for that kind of catastrophe, so I'd save that just in case. I'm using the paper towels for my farewell letters, so I guess I'll just have to deal with the constant banging. And moaning. From all directions now.

I discovered some of the stains in the walls look like people and animals. It makes me feel less alone, for some reason. I haven't started talking to them, yet. Emmett, there's a giant grizzly bear in the back corner by the toilet. Fitting, huh? Especially since I have the grizzly shits.

I really wish the constant noise would stop. The moans from Alice? Well, if that's what she sounded like during sex, I feel sorry for you Jasper. It's quite annoying, actually. I know I should be scared, but instead, I'm just irritated. I figure if they could've broken in, they would have done so by now.

Shit pen going ou again.

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Thanks to our beta (givemesomevamp) and our prereaders (cullen818 and EdwardsChipper)!


	9. Chapter 8 The Man

Fuck this pen! At least it's working now.

Fuck the banging! Stop with the noise already!

They weigh on my nerves. I can feel my body tense with every moan now. Every bang. My head pounds with the worry and my own anguish, although there's really no need for me to suffer. All the suffering is going on above me. The whole town has probably turned into retarded, biting goons by now. I yell at them and plead with them to go away. To stop the banging. To stop moaning. I get positively angry with their impertinence.

I try to keep quiet. Maybe they'll leave if they think I'm not here. I sit in a ball in the corner. I'm barely breathing. I don't move. The banging continues as the moans grow louder outside. I wait, then wait some more. Even when the need to pee is painful, I don't move. I sit as silent as a snake watching its prey. Only I'm the prey. I hope they will leave me alone. They don't.

The walls seem to bulge with every bang and retract with every moan. I stare at them. I stare at the walls for hours on end. There's a stain that looks like a man with bulging eyes and a broken neck. The moans and bangs crawl up and down and sideways through me. He saunters forward and retreats with every moan and bang.

Moan and bang.

I've lost my family. I've lost my friends. I've lost sleep. I've lost Ben & Jerry's. I've lost modern plumbing. That is evident in the smell that now fills the room. The smell of feces and urine. The smell of waste and decay. The bucket is nearly filled. I don't know what I will do with it when it is. It's all pointless.

I've lost hope.

The man taunts me. His whole purpose in life is to let me know I'm going to die in here alone. Because he and others like him wait for me outside.

I'm too cowardly to walk outside and be turned into...well, a zombie thing.

I finally crack and beg for him to leave. He doesn't.

I can't take it anymore.

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**A/N: Super huge hugs and thanks to our beta, givemesomevamp, and our prereaders, cullen818 and Edward'sChipper. One small note: These updates are NOT in real time, instead they are meant to give you the feeling that time has passed. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9 Blood Fluids& Silence

no more ink. now i have blood.

stupid impertinent bangs.

i ran to the door. beat on it with my fists over and over. the skin cracked and blood seeped out. it stained the doors.

i beat my pounding head with my fists blood ran down into my eyes

i collapsed onto the floor sobbing

i cant take it any more

pounding banging pounding moaning pounding

i cant sleep i cant eat i cant move

more pounding and banging and moaning

i tried to write but there was no more ink

i used the blood from my ears

no more hope

only death alone in this hole with the walls bulging with each bang and retracting with each moan

my senses would have been the death of me

not anymore

i will survive now

the man is very angry that i outsmarted him

he will try harder to scare me now

he laughed at my screams to stop the pounding

he laughed that i had no ink

i showed him

i took the useless pen and drove it into my ear

pain flooded my body but as the fluids seeped out there was only relief from partial silence

i pulled the pen out and looked at it covered in blood

switch hands

drove it into my other ear

blood fluids and silence

silence at last

and blood

ink from my ears like an old fashioned quill

i dip the pen into the red liquid

im so tired of trying to survive

the man still stares at me unmoving

so much expression in a wall

i stand up and fetch the bleach

i will just scrub him away

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A/N: Thanks, hugs, and humps to our beta, and our prereaders! (givemesomevamp, cullen818, and EdwardsChipper!


	11. Chapter 10 Waiting for Death

Bella scrubs the wall with straight bleach. It seeps into the cuts and scrapes she received when banging on the shelter door, trying to force those on the other side to cease. The man with the protruding eyes and the broken neck keeps staring at her, mocking her, for trying to wash him away. He refuses to leave.

So she keeps scrubbing - her hands scraping against the cement every now and then - creating new wounds and leaving streaks of blood. The man finds her injuries amusing, which angers Bella.

Her head tilts back and her unearthly wail fills the shelter, echoing off the walls. When she finally falls silent, her breath is ragged due to her pants and the occasional sob—but of course, she can't hear them. Bella feels rumblings deep in the earth, though. She attributes it to the man laughing wildly at her.

She looks up once more at the man with the broken neck. He's smirking at her as if he knows he has won.

But Bella won't allow that.

She grabs the bottle of bleach, looks up at the ceiling with a crazed look painted on her face, and pours the liquid directly into her eyes. She feels them sizzle and crack as the entire world blurs, then slowly goes dark.

She faces the direction of the man with protruding eyes and a broken neck and smiles widely, knowing she finally got the best of him. He can taunt her no longer.

She curls up into a ball on the floor and falls into a deep slumber for the first time since she entered the shelter.

She curls up into a ball on the floor and waits for death.

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A/N: Thank you to our awesome beta, givemesomevamp. Also, thanks to our prereaders cullen818 and Edward'sChipper.

Thank you for every single review you've left us. We appreciate them all. To answer some questions, yes, this is still a J/B story and there will be other POVs very soon.


	12. Chapter 11 Ben

"Benjamin, the power's out and you've slept in, so you better hurry if you're going to make it to school on time."

I shot out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt off of the floor. I'd only worn them once, so they shouldn't be too stinky. Only Angie would notice. I looked at my watch and realized that I should have left ten minutes ago, so I'd have to skip breakfast. I rushed into the bathroom to run a comb through my hair and brush my teeth quickly before heading downstairs.

Armed with my usual compliment of wallet, keys and pocket knife, I headed for the car. My mom called to me from the living room, "Hugs and kisses! Don't forget hugs and kisses!"

"MOOoom!" I whined. I was a senior in high school. I was too old for 'hugs and kisses'. She came running into the mud room from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I rubbed the spot where I could still feel her lips on my face and grumbled as I headed out to my car to pick up Angela. She yelled out the front door at me, "Be a good boy and tell Angela I said hello!"

"Okay, I will," I yelled over my shoulder. "I love you, Mom!"

It was only a block to Angie's house, so before I knew it, I was pulling into the driveway and honking my horn to let her know I was here and that she should hurry. She never appeared, so I sighed, turned the car off, locked the doors and ran to the front door to knock. One of the twins answered.

"She slept in, but she's hurrying." He smiled widely to show his missing two front teeth and then slammed the door in my face.(He never came outside, so no need for him to run back inside) I checked my watch again. Yep, we were going to be late, but if the power was out in the entire area, surely we'd be excused. I just didn't want to miss Calculus this morning. Eric sat next to me and I wanted to make plans for tonight. There was a Kung-Fu double feature playing in Port Angeles and I felt bad for dragging Angie to them. She'd much rather stay at home with her family, so I figured I'd ask Eric instead.

I walked back to the car in the light drizzle and fog, still thinking about Bruce Lee. As I was fumbling for my key, I noticed a young man, maybe a thirteen, walking slowly down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Technically, the middle school was in walking distance, but it was a bit unusual to see a child walking without a parent in this weather. Approaching the door to my car, I noticed the smell of smoke in the air. It was early in the year for using a fireplace and it was too early in the day for a cookout, but I shrugged it off.

Finally behind the wheel, I did a quick check of my CD player and mirrors once again so I'd be ready for Angie as soon as _she_ was ready. I decided to go ahead and wait on the road to save a bit of time – since there wasn't snow, Angie could come across the yard and it would be the same distance as her walking to the driveway. Backing out, I heard a THUMP and felt the car shake.

I'd hit something. I looked around, shaking. It wasn't a car…

I was beginning to panic. What if one of the twins had run out at the last minute? Oh, God, please don't let it be one of the twins. I looked around frantically, searching my mirrors and windows. "DUDE!" I screamed, embarrassed by the fact that I was startled by the teenage boy plastered to the driver's door. He was staring at me with bloodshot eyes. The dark circles and unbelievably large bags under his eyes made him look like he hadn't slept in days. His skin looked grayish. He just looked sick.

"Dude!" I repeated, a little less hysterical. "What the hell?"

BAM!

His hands slammed into the window, and if I hadn't found _that_ weird enough, a split second later he followed it up with his forehead. He launched himself at me repeatedly, stopped only by the safety-glass of my car window. I watched in stunned horror as the glass cracked in an intricate spider web pattern laced with blood smears. I finally gained my ability to react and, more on survival instinct than reason, I made my way over the center console and out the passenger door.

In hindsight, the only thing that I remember as a clear thought was: _Give him the car_. I must have thought he was a carjacker. He could have my junker as long as he left me alone.

On my feet, out of the car and standing in Angela's front yard, I started to think again – and not a moment too soon. With bloody knuckles and face, the boy was charging at me. He moved slower than normal, with an elongated gait, but it was still a fairly quick run. I would like to say that my reaction was well planned and elegant, like Bruce Lee, but it wasn't. As he leaped on me, I fell backwards. I think all of those martial arts movies finally paid off because I was able to fling the kid over me with a stiff leg to the stomach. He landed with a crunching snap on the sidewalk leading to Angie's front door.

I got to my feet and made a dash to the house. Thankfully, I moved quicker than he could. I had just enough time to dash through the door and slam it behind me, my full weight against it, before he hit it from the other side. I threw the deadbolt and screamed over my shoulder to Mrs. Weber, who was standing there in shock by my actions, "LOCK THE DOORS! NOW!" Angela had dashed down the stairs and, to her credit, only took a split second to get over the shock and bolt for the back door.

The twins stood in the living room."Ben! You don't have to yell!" Isaac yelled at me with his hands over his ears. The irony would have normally made me laugh, but not this time.

"Isaac and Joshua, stay with your mom! Go upstairs and lock the door. Do just as she says…and none of you come out until I come and get you." Mr. Weber was standing in front of me with a phone in his hands. By the time he was finished talking, the boy outside was pounding on the door while screaming and making animalistic noises.

"Aren't you going to answer the door?" Joshua asked, ignoring his father's instructions. His mother scrambled over to them, scooped them up each in one arm, and headed upstairs without saying a word. The pounding on the door continued, punctuated by whimpering and clawing.

I dared a peek through the window, hoping that the boy didn't notice me. I couldn't see him, which could only mean he was pressed up against the door. The door was metal, built to withstand just about anything, so we were lucky. I prayed that the door would hold.

I turned around to see Mr. Weber standing over my shoulder. He gently moved me to the side so he could see out the window. I looked around, still shaking, to locate Angie. If anyone could calm me down, it would be her. But she was nowhere in sight. Good, that meant she was upstairs, where it was safer.

Mr. Weber turned around and he was now shaking as badly as I was. He still had the phone in his hands, so I asked, "Did you call the cops?"

"I couldn't get through," he whispered, glancing at the phone in his hands and then back at the door. He put his free hand on my shoulder and steered me as he backed up slowly away from the window, trying not to make any more noise than necessary as he stated, "I even tried calling the Swan residence. No answer. What the hell is going on out there, Ben?"

I honestly didn't know what to tell him. I had my ideas as to what was going on, but would he believe me? "Some kid just attacked me!"

We both jumped as Angela came around the corner and into the living room from the stairs. Her eyes were wide and she was obviously as scared as we were, but I'd never seen her look more amazing. She looked just like Elektra at that moment. I froze first in surprise and then a smile spread across my face. She was almost Amazonian in height compared to me. She was holding the katana I had bought her for her birthday in one hand and she had one baseball bat in the other, with another tucked under her arm. She held out the sword for her dad and I took a baseball bat. As she looked at me, she mouthed, "What the heck is going on?"

The sound of breaking glass came from the front hallway.

The Webers didn't mind guns at all and they had nothing against hunting, but with the twins in the house, I knew they wouldn't own one. We were lucky we had the weapons we _did_. I just hoped Mr. Weber could use that sword.

He pushed me behind him and gestured for Angela to go back upstairs, but she refused, following behind me. As we entered the front hall, I saw glass from the window on the floor and a bloody hand – glass still embedded in it – raking back and forth over the remaining glass shards. With the amount of damage to the wrist, I expected to see much more blood. Instead, there was just a little bit of black junk oozing slowly out of the wounds. It was then that I had an epiphany. Holy crap, these things were zombies!

All of the zombie combat rules started running through my head. I tried to remember them from all of the movies and books Eric and I had devoured in the last few years. Break the neck. Decapitate. Those were the most important. I briefly wondered if Mr. Weber would be able to decapitate someone since he was a minister. No, I had seen the fire and determination in his eyes as he'd pushed me behind him. He would kill for his family, I had no doubt.

I thought I was going to jump out of my shoes at the sound of a gunshot right outside the door. The hand disappeared and there was a soft sliding sound down the front door. The soft knock that followed startled me almost as much as the gun shot, and I wasn't the only one – Mr. Weber jumped as well, and Angela's hand tightened on my shoulder. The 'shave-and-a-haircut' rap was a familiar one, and not one you'd expect from zombies, so I called out, "Who is it?"

"The Zombie Militia. Open the door." The voice that came from the other side of the door was a familiar one, since I'd heard it in Spanish class last year.

I pushed past Mr. Weber and fiddled with the deadbolt. My hands were still shaking, so it was more difficult than usual to work. Mr. Weber placed his hand on my shoulder and I knew he was questioning my sanity for even thinking about opening it, so I muttered, "It's okay. It's the Cullens."

As soon as the lock was opened, Emmett pushed the door open and we were forced to step back as he and Rosalie Hale entered the house, slamming the door behind them. We caught sight of Jasper Hale standing on the porch, wearing black cargo pants and a long sleeved black t-shirt. He was scanning the area, keeping watch with rifle in hand.

Mr. Weber, Angie and I just stood and stared at Rosalie and Emmett, our mouths open, shocked by their presence. Rosalie looked as perfect as ever, wearing a pair of jeans and a plaid flannel shirt without a hair out of place. She had leaned the shovel she was carrying against the wall and was picking dirt out of her nails, a disgusted look on her face. Emmett was wearing camouflage fatigues and he had two pistols strapped to his hips and a large black duffel bag slung across his back.

He was staring at us with a grin on his face until he quipped, "Nice to see you too," as he plopped the bag onto the floor. "Look, we don't have long. Charlie Swan got some weird zombie disease and now it's spreading through the town like wildfire, so you need to evacuate. If you want to get out of here, you'd better bust some serious ass. The shit hit the fan on the other side of town last night and half of Forks is already a war zone."

He didn't stop speaking to see if we'd take him up on his offer. He kept glancing out the front window, as if he was holding a conversation with Jasper, and said, "I know it sounds crazy, but you need to trust us. If you're going to get out of town, you should do it now."

In the next five minutes, my world was turned upside down. Yes, I wanted to evacuate with the Webers, but what about my mom? Ever since Dad died, she was all I had, besides Angie, and I couldn't leave her. My heart plummeted as I thought about what I should do, but Angela broke the silence.

"We can't leave without Mrs. Cheney, Ben's mom. She lives over on Briar Street." I was thankful that Angela was there to be my voice. This entire time I'd been worried about me and Angela, and I hadn't even thought about my mom being in danger.

Emmett turned to Rosalie and they stared at each other as if they were holding a conversation. Then they both turned toward the door for a moment before Emmett spoke. "Jasper will run you over to your house, Ben. Get your mom and pack only essentials. You have five minutes."

That wasn't enough time to get over to my house, explain what was going on, and get back. I was still trying to process all of this when I felt Angela's hands on my shoulders as she spun me around to face her. She whispered, "Ben, Jasper will keep you safe. There's always been something different about the Cullens—almost inhuman—but they're good people, I know it. Go get your mom so we can go." I nodded and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Normally, I would never kiss her in front of her father, but this was Zombie Armageddon, so I figured I had nothing to lose.

I released Angie and headed out the door. Jasper's back was to me, but he acknowledged my presence by saying, "Ben, you've seen some weird shit today and you're about to see more. But, if I help you fetch your mom, you're going to have to keep quiet about anything you see me do. Are we clear?"

There was something about Jasper Hale's presence that was terrifying. He seemed to exude badass from his pores. No one would dare fuck with him. The most important thing to me right now was to get my mom, so I nodded and stammered out a "Y-yes."

"Okay then, hop on my back and close your fuckin' eyes." It was an odd request, but I wasn't about to question it. I jumped up and locked my arms around his neck. I almost released my grip, shocked by how cold his skin was. Angela was right – they weren't normal…or human. But, the one thing I knew about Angela was that she was extremely perceptive and a good judge of character. If she said I could trust Jasper, I would because I had faith in her.

As soon as I squeezed my eyes shut, I felt the wind whipping through my hair, as if we were suddenly flying. I wanted to open my eyes, but Jasper had told me to keep them shut, so I kept them shut. It felt like less than a second later that we had stopped and were standing outside my house.

Jasper growled out a "Shit!", causing my eyes to spring open. The front door to my house was wide open. _Oh God, my mother!_ I slid down Jasper's body and ran up to the front door, frantic to find my mom.

I couldn't even fathom what I would do if my mom was hurt. I wasn't even thinking as I ran into the house, my ears registering pounding and moans coming from upstairs.

_Dear God, please let her be safe._

I didn't even think, I just yelled out "Mom!" as I barreled up the steps two at a time. As I reached the top, I felt myself being yanked back by the hood of my sweater as a blur took my spot before me. My eyes couldn't track the movement as I rounded the corner and looked into the hallway to see zombie parts flying left and right. My mom was standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She'd obviously opened the door when she heard me yelling, afraid that I would be attacked by the things.

As fast as the fight had started, it ended, and Jasper was the only one left standing. My eyes scanned him for bite marks out of concern – if these things were zombies, then the last thing we needed was for him – whatever he was – to get bitten. He quickly growled, "I'm fine. Hurry up. I'll be outside," before running down the stairs and out the front door. _Weird._

Mom had seen the things firsthand, so she didn't need coaxing when I told her to pack a few clothes because we were heading out of town with the Webers. We each filled a backpack with clothes, threw a couple water bottles and some granola bars in there with them, and headed downstairs with barely a word spoken between us.

I grabbed the keys to mom's car as we headed outside and we ran to the vehicle, throwing the bags in the back. Jasper had followed us, but he kept his distance. He spoke through clenched teeth. "I'll run next to you to keep any threats at bay. _Do not stop_ until you're at the Weber house."

I did as he said, reminding mom to buckle up (rule number three), and when I turned off the car in front of Angie's house, I wasn't surprised to find Jasper already opening my mother's car door before grabbing our bags from the back. As he walked by the Webers' van, which someone had pulled out of the garage, he threw the bags in and then took up his post on the front steps, pulling a cigarette out of his pants pocket and lighting up.

Once we were inside, I helped Angela gather a few toys for the twins before everyone headed out to the van. The entire process had taken less than 10 minutes and then we were on the road following Jasper and Rosalie, who were driving my car. Emmett had taken up a sniper position on the roof of the car so he could "snipe the zombie fuckers" that stood in our way. We weren't two minutes from the house when both Mrs. Weber and my mom started listing all of the things that we should have packed but didn't.

I could see the smoke in the distance, but God or something must've been on our side because we ran across very few zombies. The ones we _did_ come across, Emmett quickly downed with a bullet to the head. Mom and Mrs. Weber would stop their conversation when a zombie would come into view. The first zombie caused my mom to gasp as she recognized Mr. Greene, our Principal. The next was a nurse Mrs. Weber knew from the hospital. Mr. Weber started praying under his breath as Emmett put a bullet in Mr. Newton's zombiefied head.

We drove for about half an hour out of town before Jasper waved my car over to the side of the road. He sauntered out of the woods and up to my trunk, pulling out Emmett's duffle bag. I got out of the car and walked toward Jasper. Emmett came over, handed me my keys, and wished us good luck as Jasper unzipped the duffle bag.

It was full of weapons.

I motioned for Mr. Weber to join me and told him to tell Angela to keep the car running and to take off if there was a problem. He hurried to where we were standing.

"Do you know how to use a gun?" Jasper asked.

We both nodded in the affirmative.

"I don't think you'll have any trouble from here on out, but here's a .30 and a .22. In this bag is a box of .30 caliber and about a couple hundred rounds for the .22 in the bag. It's all I can spare. Good luck."

I nodded my head in thanks as Mr. Weber took the weapons. I ran back to the car and fetched the one thing I could give him in return for helping us escape. Of course, Angie was holding it out the window for me, so I grabbed it and ran back to Jasper. She never liked it anyway, so I could buy her a nice purse or something if we survived all of this later.

"Here, take this. You'll need it more than we will. And thank you for your help."

He nodded and took the katana from me, pulling it out of its sheath and eyeing it appreciatively. I looked at him and I had a question on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't spit it out.

He looked up and smirked, "Well, spit it out, Ben."

"Why did you help us? Why, out of all of the people in town?"

The smirk melted away as he said, "We have our ways of knowing things. And you're good people. No one, especially you and the Webers, deserve to be punished for our mistakes."

With that, he picked up the duffle and disappeared into the forest, followed by his sister and Emmett.

Mr. Weber called after them, "Thank you! You and yours will be in our prayers."

They were going to need all the prayers they could get. 


	13. Chapter 12 Carlisle

I carefully prepared a slide of the most recent sample the children had collected and slid it into place under my microscope. Interesting. There was a distinct difference in the evolution of this contagion, but more research would be needed to fully understand the difference.

It was a relief to receive _any_ information regarding the contagion that could be collected from the field. Every piece—no matter how trivial—helped to form proper hypotheses that would assist in creating a vaccine.

Pulling out my medical journal, I began to write my findings. I knew it was unnecessary due to my perfect recall, but it assisted in organizing my thoughts and distracted me from the incessant moans of Patient Six.

_Subjects infected by Patient Zero (Charlie Swan) retained mobility, and their speed and strength increased. Subjects infected by Patient One (my son, Edward) or Patient Two (my daughter, Alice) or any other infected humans lost mobility and strength, and their bodies decayed at an increased rate. _

_Emmett, my son, had been able to procure a sample from Patient Two, and the results were astounding. The contagion seemed to attack the venom directly, quickly destroying the remaining tissues as well. Why Patient One is not decaying at an increased rate is a mystery to me at this moment. I can only hypothesize that since the contagion was created using a sample of his venom, it recognizes the original host and is working symbiotically with the venom._

_I believe the subjects bitten by Patient Zero gain some vampiric abilities for this same reason. They have no venom in their system to war against the mutated venom of the virus, therefore they gain strength and speed almost akin to that of a vampire. As seen in Patient Two's sample, the virus had already mutated her DNA and venom to the point that it did not resemble venom whatsoever. Therefore, her victims would not gain vampiric abilities since the vampire DNA had been altered so completely._

_Patient One's victims receive only the mutated gene that is able to exist in Patient One's body, and therefore they show no extra abilities. There could be other reasons, but this seems the most plausible at the moment._

_As far as actual body function of the infected, the major changes are to the teeth and jaws of all carrying the contagion. The muscle fibers become extremely concentrated around the jaw, and in the case of Infected Group Zero (those infected by Patient Zero), all muscles become concentrated in the same manner as vampire physiology. The ligaments and tendons thicken around the face and jaw as well, giving them extremely strong jaws for feeding. _

_Extra bone is deposited in the lower jaw to form an attachment point for larger chewing muscles. These adaptations enable the infected to bite through skull and bone and get at the pillars of their diet: brains and bone marrow. __It is of interest to note that the__ teeth are not adapted to the powerful forces exerted on them by the jaw. From the two heads I have examined, I noted that the teeth crack and fall out, and the holes they leave behind leak sludge-like blood. But, even with all teeth removed, they have the reinforced mandibles, and with these exposed, they could still chew through human or vampire flesh._

_The flesh decays rapidly in the infected. I have found that they resemble a petri dish – a serving host to everything from bacteria and fungi to maggots and ants. The resulting state of putrefaction means, as terrifying as the infected may be to the eye, it actually commits far worse offenses to the nose. I believe they can stave off this decay by feasting on organs that have concentrated amounts of stem cells within. These cells can assist in regenerating the tissue, prolonging the life of the infected. _

_Based on the average infected, we can presume a few things about the virus' relationship to decomposition. The immune system, at least a crippled version, still functions to slow human bacterial flora from consuming their host. It could be presumed that while some cell division continues,__repairs__and__restoration__are lost. The virus likely only preserves essential functions, allowing irrelevant parts of the body, such as skin, secondary musculature and some organs, to decay. Finally, we can presume the virus itself__must__consume flesh to some degree, rendering the infected's metabolic processes incredibly inefficient and explaining the insatiability of those carrying the virus._

_The infected are stimulus-response creatures that seek flesh, and this implies that the pathogen must act to re-animate the existing neural pathways and motor functions in some fashion. The fully functioning sensory systems are capable of distinguishing four key things: flesh-vs-non-flesh; species; infected-vs-uninfected; and self. The infected in Group Zero have been observed having more complex systems, building on the baser instincts. For instance, vampires have a strong sexual drive, and Patient One has been observed partaking in sexual release. I believe this release is still an instinctual need, but having sexual desire proves a deeper sensory complexity._

_At this point, it is obvious that contracting the pathogen is terminal for humans. Whatever the hijacking process involves, I presume that an intermediate stage of infection between contamination and reanimation is fatal. The infection of the medulla oblongata – where most automatic processes are regulated – is what results in cardio-pulmonary death, followed shortly by brain-death. Sometime after brain-death the medulla oblongata is fully hijacked by the pathogen and re-animated. The only possible scenario to keep an infected human alive would be to find a way to introduce a vampiric pathogen that is capable of destroying the contagion._

_The__pathogen is contagious via bodily fluids from what has been witnessed in the field. So far only one patient has survived a bite and not been infected, and although I have samples of this subject's venom, it is unknown at the current time why his venom has properties that are able to fight the infection. More tests are needed, but I hold out hope that his venom is the key to creating an antidote since attempts to capture Patient Zero up to this point have been fruitless. _

_I will not rest until a cure has been found, not only due to my guilt but also because I fear my remaining family will not survive if we cannot cure those of us that have undergone the change. I pray that the cure will come to me soon. Otherwise, it will be too late for Patient Six, and then even I will welcome death._

_

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A/N: We can't thank JaspersDestiny enough for betareading this for us on short notice. We love you and your ability to remove all of our Shatner commas! Thanks to our prereaders, EdwardsChipper, cullen818 and Stitchcat. All of them – and our normal beta (givemesomevamp) - are invaluable to us in our quest to make this story as awesome as we can! MWAH to all five of you!

An important note: Do not think of the mini-chapters this week as linear. They are not linear, but do give you a peek into what is going on outside of the bunker. Lots of great questions were brought up in reviews, and I can safely say that they will all be answered soon. These mini-chapters are all crafted to give you information you will need as the story progresses, so they do have a point. We hope you enjoy them!

A little pimpage is in order today! There are lots of awesome stories nominated for the Gem Awards Jasper Round, and someone nominated us! We just want to say thank you to those who did, and we feel honored that you nominated us! Not only was F&B nominated, but some stories by JaspersIzzy, HammerHips, Hammer of Destiny (HH and JaspersDestiny collab), The Clan of Redundancy Clan (givemesomevamp and HH collab) were also nominated. WOW! We're absolutely speechless! Go head over to their site and vote! www (dot) gemawards (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Thanks to each and every one of our readers for nominating our stories!


	14. Chapter 13  Mrs Cope

**Flesh & Blood **

**Chapter 13**

**Mrs. Cope**

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I hated insomnia – up all hours of the night, and then I had to go in and put a smile on my face for everyone that visited that little cell of an office at the high school. I had to at least appear that I was doing my job to the best of my abilities because Mr. Greene would _love_ to find a reason to get rid of me. It was no secret to anyone who worked at the school that he was screwing Mrs. Stanley on a regular basis. She would come in at least twice a week and request an emergency conference about her daughter, Jessica. But, from the moaning and squealing that would ensue, it didn't sound like they talked much.

I should get one of those tape recorders from Walmart and record the sounds as 'job security', but that wouldn't be a very Christian-like thing to do. Plus, the last thing I needed was to think about how someone like _her_ could just spread her legs and the men would come running. It'd been too long since I'd had any relations, and my battery-operated boyfriend just wasn't the same. If I had a recording of _those _noises, maybe it would enhance the experience though…

No, I didn't need to think about intercourse. It wasn't proper. It was bad enough that I'd started drooling over some of the sexy young things that were still underage, but it doesn't hurt to look – especially that Edward Cullen. He reminded me of my Bert, God rest his soul. What I wouldn't give to get a glimpse of that body naked! I would have enough fantasy material for another decade.

I trudged downstairs to the kitchen to make myself a nice glass of warm milk. Hopefully, it would help me rest a little bit more before I would have to get ready for work once again. Maybe Edward would come into the office today to request something. That would make the entire day worthwhile.

I flipped on the light switch and had quite a start, causing me to jump and scream as my heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. Standing in front of me was Alice Cullen—Edward's sister—and she didn't look too good. From the looks of the broken glass door, she'd apparently broken into my house. I bet she was on that reefer. That stuff makes you crazy – I know, I've seen the movie Reefer Madness! And Alice definitely looked crazy, even for the teeny little thing that she was. If it was anyone else, I'd be terrified out of my wits, but I had at least a hundred pounds on her and I could probably suffocate her in my butt crack if I needed to.

I grabbed at my heart as I waited for my breathing to calm down enough to talk.

"Alice, dear, do you need some help? I can call your father if you'd like?"

Yes, I would gladly call Dr. Cullen, another man that starred in my fantasies often. I smiled slightly, thinking about his round bottom. I always dropped things in front of him so he'd have to bend over and I could get a good look at his derriere. His wife really was a lucky duck.

I was brought out of my thoughts about Dr. Sexybottom by Alice shuffling closer to me. I took a step back because she was getting close to entering my personal space and I grabbed for the phone.

There was something very wrong with her and she was beginning to scare me.

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**END NOTE: Thank you for continueing to read and review our crazy little fic. We don't have the time with the daily updates right now to reply to them all, but we assure you that we both read each and every one. So, thank you.**

**We give big love and humps to our beta JaspersDestiny for betaing our mess ups while our normal beta givemesomevamp is unable. We also give big humpin' flove to our prereaders Cullen818, EdwardsChipper and Stitchcat for their thoughts and direction.**


	15. Chapter 14  The Janitor

**Flesh & Blood**

**Chapter 14**

**The Janitor**

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It figures that there'd be a zombie apocalypse and I'd actually be one of the only people to show up on time. I had to be a responsible employee. I'd seen the first one just seconds before it had taken a hunk of flesh out of Mr. Greene's neck. It must've hit his jugular because as it had pulled its mouth away from his flesh, veins stuck out between some of its teeth and blood had sprayed all across the hall, over the ceiling and floor. Instead of being shocked, my first thought had been, "Fuck, that's gonna be _hell_ to clean up."

I had heard a moan coming from down toward the other end of the hallway, so I had closed myself up in a fucking closet, locking the door behind me. For a split second, I thought about running down to Roger Greene and dragging him in here with me, but I'd seen enough of them movies to know that if he didn't die from losing all of his blood, he'd come back to gnaw on my veins.

That's how I found myself in this stupid mop closet, with nothing but a bunch of contraband and the smell of chemicals. I stared at the mop bucket and I was grateful I hadn't put any cleaners in it yet. At least I'd have some drinking water. Yeah, I'd be able to taste a bit of the residual soap if I drank it, but it'd be better than drinking my own piss like that idiot on TV.

All I had for food was a bunch of suckers and some gum I'd confiscated from those idiot kids in the hallway, and that wouldn't last very long. Damn it, there was no way I could survive in this stupid closet for long. I knew I couldn't stay in here for very long with no food and only mop water, but I knew there were at least two of those assholes out there and I had no weapons.

I'd have to make a run for it. I stood up and started feeling around in the dark for anything on the shelves that I could use as a weapon. As I reached up high, my hands hit something cold. Holy shit, I'd forgotten that I had a toolbox in here! I guess my brains were going to mush after watching Roger get his neck ate on.

After searching every inch of this dank little hellhole, I found a hammer and a mini crowbar. They would have to do. I said a prayer and hoped that my kids were home safe with their momma and that at least they would make it out of this alive, even if I didn't get home to them.

I just had to make it to my truck and I'd be home free, as long as the roads weren't covered in the fuckers. Of course, there'd be idiots driving like lunatics in a panic as well, and they'd be a problem too, but I was sure if I could make it to my truck, I'd survive.

Well, I guess this is it.

I picked up the crowbar and reached for the doorknob.

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**END NOTE: Once again, thank you for the reviews and love we're receiving for this story. It means the world to us that you love it as much as we do. ****Huge love and humps to our before for this chapter JaspersDestiny, and our awesome pre-readers EdwardsChipper and Cullen818. And special love to our normal beta givemesomvamp.**

**Just a side note: These mini chapters serve a purpose. All will be revealed in due time, so please be patient with your questions. There is a method to our madness. Thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 15   Quarantine

**QUARANTINE ORDER FROM THE FEDERAL CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL**

Unknown Contagion:

You are suspected of having been exposed to a patient under investigation for an unknown and highly-contagious disease.

This is a disease associated with sudden, severe neurological damage and sudden outbursts of rage. If this disease spreads throughout your community, it will have severe public health consequences. Your possible exposure requires further public health investigation and monitoring.

The Center for Disease Control, pursuant to authority vested in us by the United States of America, issues this QUARANTINE ORDER to the communities of Clallam County and the La Push Reservation.

You are required to remain in your household for the specified time in this QUARANTINE ORDER.

You have been properly informed and counseled by local authorities regarding the control measures for exposure. Failure to comply with the control measures is a violation of NCGS 130A-144 and may result in incarceration for the recommended period of quarantine under NCGS 15A-534.5.

During the quarantine period, you are required to:

• Follow these instructions until notified otherwise;

• Take your temperature twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening;

• Observe yourself for any of the following symptoms: headache, body aches, fever in excess of 100.4 degrees F, respiratory symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath or cough, an inability to think clearly, or difficulty speaking;

• Report any symptoms immediately to Forks Hospital and seek medical attention if additional symptoms develop;

• Not go to work, school, childcare, community gatherings, or other public areas if you develop any of the above symptoms;

• Wash your hands often and well, especially after you have blown your nose;

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough;

• Not share silverware, towels, or bedding. Don't reuse these items until they have been washed with soap and hot water;

• Clean surfaces (counter- or tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, etc) that have been contaminated by your bodily fluids (sweat, saliva, mucous, vomit or urine) with a household disinfectant used according to the manufacturer's instructions. Wear disposable gloves during all cleaning activities. Throw these gloves away after use;

• Cooperate with the local health department in monitoring any symptoms that might indicate illness, as well as illness in household members and close you fail to comply with this QUARANTINE ORDER, you will be subject to prosecution pursuant to NC Law (NCGS 130A-25) punishable by up to two (2) years imprisonment, as well as pretrial detention without bail under GS. 15A-534.5. If you plan to move to a new address within this jurisdiction, you are required to notify this Health Department and obtain prior approval.

The staff of this Health Department remains available to provide assistance and counseling to you concerning your situation and compliance with this QUARANTINE ORDER. The authority of this QUARANTINE ORDER to restrict your freedom of movement expires in 10 days from your exposure unless extended or modified by a court pursuant to G.S. 130A-145.

You may petition the Superior Court for review of the restriction of your freedom of movement contained in this QUARANTINE ORDER pursuant to G.S. 130A-145(d).

The captain didn't understand his orders, but he'd seen the news and knew that this new virus was something you didn't fuck around with. His platoon was in charge of spreading out and containing the area as best they could. Fencing would eventually be erected around the area if the disease couldn't be contained, but until then his unit was the line of defense.

"There's only one sure way to kill these diseased fuckers," the captain instructed, "and that's by first putting them down with a bullet between the eyes and then hacking the bastards' heads off with your blade. After you're sure they're dead, follow through and burn the shitty mess you leave behind. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes sir!" the entire platoon bellowed in reply.

"Fear is gonna be your biggest enemy out there, not those sick faggots," he yelled. "Get control of that fear, ladies, and you'll make it out of this alive. So, how many of you pussies have experienced the rush of combat? And I ain't talkin' about a tour in Korea either. I mean a _real_ combat zone."

Not one raised their hand.

"Shit," he mumbled. "We're fuckin' doomed."

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**END NOTE: Big hugs and thanks to our team of beta's and prereders, JaspersDestiny, givemesomevamp, EdwardsChipper, and Cullen818.**

**Thanks for reading and the continued support of our crazy little fic.**


	17. Chapter 16  Deputy Mark

**Flesh & Blood **

**Chapter 16**

**Deputy Mark**

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Deputy Mark gripped the gun in his hand and aimed dead center at the zombie's head. When he pulled the trigger, bits of brain and skull sprayed out before it hit the ground. As he aimed for the head of another, he cursed Chief Swan for being the first to contract this shit. Not only was he out here alone, killing the people he vowed to protect, but he was almost out of ammo.

He made a run for it, sliding across the hood of his cruiser and quickly diving into the vehicle before slamming the door behind him. Now that he was in charge and the only law in town, he'd probably get blamed for this mess. He should've moved further south to a big city. But no, his wife wanted to raise kids in a small town with 'less excitement'.

_Less excitement_, his ass.

He took off down the street, sirens blaring, and wondered if he could get more ammo at Newton's. He whipped the cruiser around in the middle of the street, barreling into one of the infected and knocking it down before the back tires ran over the hopeless sap. His lips curled up slightly for the first time in days. He'd always wanted to do that.

He was driving three times the speed limit and enjoying it. There were perks to Chief Swan not being around. Charlie would never allow him to drive this fast through town. Within minutes, he was in front of the sporting goods store. It was the fastest time he'd ever made it in and he was quite proud of that.

He stepped out of the vehicle and unholstered his weapon just in case. It didn't look good at all. He hadn't been out to the outfitter store in days, and either it had been overrun by _those things_ or there'd been looting. He entered the store as quietly as he could and headed toward the ammo case.

Deputy Mark stopped in his tracks when he heard something move in the aisle next to him. He held his breath as he neared the end of the aisle, pointed his gun in front of him, and pivoted so he could see what had made the noise.

Nothing was there. Well, after what had been going on, it was no wonder that he was hearing things. Maybe he should find some earplugs, too. As he spun to head toward the ammo case once again, he came face to face with one of the fuckers. Without even thinking, he lifted his gun and emptied it into the asshole.

The infected stumbled a few times, a shocked look on his face, before falling over dead. The only problem was that the infected never _looked_ shocked.

Shit. Deputy Mark felt something warm seeping down his pants. Yep, he'd been popping the infected in the head without a second's thought, but now that he'd accidentally shot an innocent kid, he pissed his pants.

He reached down to check for a pulse, but there wasn't one. And due to the blood loss, the body was already cold. He panicked, knowing the hospital had shut down and there was nothing he could do. He grabbed a box of ammo that the boy had been carrying and headed straight to the cruiser, peeling out as he took off.

The store was silent when Emmett's eye popped open, a huge smile crossing his face. He dusted the bullet fragments off his shirt as Rosalie appeared from the shadows with a huge Kukri in her hand to berate him for scaring the deputy half to death.

"Well, he's been too trigger happy lately. Now maybe he'll think before he shoots."

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**END NOTE: Thank you for reading and reviewing. We're still laughing at Emmett's wily ways. We do apologize for not being able to respond to reviews. We're so busy with daily updates and other stuff that we just don't have the time. Please forgive us. We know you all have lots of questions, and we promise they will be answered. Just bare with us please. If you have a pressing question or just want to talk to us about the story, we do have a forum thread over on the TwiWrite forums. So please check that out. Again, thank you for reading our craziness. We hop you'll tell us what you think by leaving a review. **

**As always, thanks to our amazing team of prereaders and beta's, JaspersDestiny, givemesomevamp, EdwardsChipper and Cullen818. We flove you! **


	18. Chapter 17  Billy Black

**Please read the AN at the end. **

**Flesh & Blood**

**Chapter 17**

**Billy Black**

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This quarantine order was bullshit. There was nothing going on down here at the rez. It had to be those bloodsuckers who were behind this. They knew to stay off our land, and that's why we hadn't had any trouble yet. It had to be. I was surprised that Charlie hadn't come down to fill us in on what was going on, but he probably had his hands full with the fact that all hell had broken loose in Forks. People going batshit crazy, killing each other… If I wasn't in this chair, I'd still go up there and try to kick their asses, even though I wouldn't get far.

As of now, we had Sam patrolling the borders as much as he could, and while he's come across some mighty unusual scents, nothing concrete has pointed toward those leeches. He keeps wanting me to go and move in with Harry for a few days until this all passes since Jacob and I are right on the edge of the rez, but I'm not letting them run me out of my home.

We can't risk sending Sam into town now, even though he's offered to go many times. We need to be watching our own borders, damn it, and the kid barely has time to sleep now as it is. I wonder if any of the others teens will phase anytime soon.

I wheeled myself into the kitchen and grabbed the last can of R. Damn it, they better lift this shit soon or else Jake and I are going to go on a beer run – order or no order. I needed it if I was going to be cooped up with a teenager for any longer, especially since the antenna was on the fritz again. The games weren't coming in clear, and it wasn't like I could go fishing right now. It wouldn't be worth the fine that would be slapped on my crippled ass. Jacob and I can barely afford to stay here on my pension as it is.

Hell, maybe I just needed some fresh air.

Jake was snoring on the couch, so it wasn't like he'd care if I was on my own porch for five minutes. I wheeled my ass outside, popped open the can and took a drink while listening to the ocean. Yep, just being outside sure made things _much_ better. I could already feel myself relaxing as the waves crashed on the shore.

That didn't last long, though. Looking down the beach, I saw something in the distance and squinted. It was moving fast, but it was definitely a human…or _humanoid_. No human moved _that_ fast, which meant it was probably a bloodsucker. The nerve those leeches had coming onto our land!

Shit, there was no way I'd be able to make it out of here, but Jake could.

I yelled to Jake to call Sam pronto and to hightail his ass outta the house and run for cover. I heard his snores stop abruptly and knew he'd heard me, but he grabbed the phone and started dialing as he walked through the house…towards me.

I yelled out to him again to get the fuck out the back door and run. He's young and has a better chance of making it than I do. If this bloodsucker wanted to eat someone, he had better leave my kid alone. After all, Jacob would be better off without me. He wouldn't have to take care of his old man, and I knew the tribe would make sure he was provided for until he turned eighteen.

Then my heart plummeted to my feet as I saw who was running full force at me. It was my best friend, the man that was the best man at my wedding.

_Charlie. _

Fuck. Those bloodsucking assholes were gonna pay, even if I had to come back and kick their ass as a spirit.

I yelled at Jake to take off again, but he was shaking all over and sweating like a whore in church. Just before Charlie reached me, Jacob leaped off the porch, shreds of clothing flying as fur bursted forth from his body.

Wrestling.

The sound of jaws snapping.

My _son_.

I was filled with terror and prayed to my ancestors to keep my boy safe.

Then I saw another wolf, black as night, running toward us.

Please hurry, Sam!

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**AN: We realize we are about to make a lot of you mad, and we ask that you hear us out before you freak, K? For the past two weeks, we've given you daily updates. These updates were meant to give you, first, a progression of Bella's mind slowly slipping into insanity, and second, an idea of just WTMF was going on in the outside world. We know they were short, but it was daily and with important information that will come in handy. Now, with being said, we hope you've enjoyed them. This is the last "mini-chapter" we will be posting. **

**Now, to the big news. There will not be a normal update tomorrow. *holds up hands to silence you* I know, I know. We're bummed about it too, but here's the deal. We have the mother of all chapters coming up next. This bitch is epic in terms of length. We're talking Jasper peen size plus some. Ya feel me? Yeah. Huge right. So, with that being said, please understand we want this thing perfect. We've written and edited and re-edited, and probably will some more. Then it has to go to beta, and as awesome as our beta's and prereaders are, they need time for this one. K? I promise you it'll be worth it. So, please don't bitch us out that we're not updating tomorrow. It'll be posted next Saturday instead, and it'll be a really long read for you. We hope this makes up for it. If not, well, that's just how it is. Sorry. We still love our readers, but we need a break. HH is drinking more and Izzy's eye is in a permanent twitch, so bear with us. **

**OK, since we're all nice and shit, I'm offering this from me (Izzy) because I can't ask HH to do this because she's a busy hoor with shit to do. If you all can be nice to our poor, tired, alcoholic asses, I'll post a nice hefty teaser on the TwiWrite forums. If you aren't signed up at TwiWrite and prefer to have it sent to you via review reply, just say so in your review and I'll send it your way. Mkay? I won't be sending them to everyone in case you don't want it. You have to tell me. **

**That's about it. Pray for our sanity as we work our asses off to get this massive motherfucker out to you and know we'll both need to go to AA after this is done. *humps to all* **

**As always, we want to thank the amazing team of peeps who stand behind us. *smacks their asses* JaspersDestiny, givemesomevamp, Cullen818 and EdwardsChipper. Aaaaand, all of you awesome fuckers out there who are reading and laughing and damn near vomiting over this crazy shit we come up with. You make it worth it. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**JizzyHips *still makes me giggle***


	19. Chapter 18  Decay

**Flesh & Blood**

**Chapter 18-Decay**

**A/N to follow chapter**

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"Ignore their faces. Remember, they aren't who you think they are. Not anymore."

It was a reminder to Emmett and Rose. As soon as we approached the clearing where the bunker was located, we heard the groans belonging to those who had been infected. I felt Rose's worry spike and knew she was concerned about Bella. Hell, we all were. She had been trapped down here for weeks, and although we knew she had plenty of supplies, we had no way of knowing just how well she was fairing. We had no choice, however. The town had needed us more than she did.

Bella had never been one to actually hide from danger, and we all knew it. She was more the type to run straight into it without a plan now and consequences be damned. We all hoped she had kept safe in the bunker, but knowing Bella - after being this isolated with no news - it was likely she tried to leave in order to help her father or any one of us.

We circled around, thankful that we were still faster than the majority of the infected. It seemed that only Edward and Charlie were as fast as us, with Alice coming in third. Carlisle wasn't sure why that was, but he was working hard in the lab to try and figure out how to stop this thing. When we reached the tree line of the clearing, I saw the Vanquish still sitting outside the little metal building and relief flooded me. If the car was still out here, it was likely that Bella had stayed put. It also meant she'd be safe until we cleared out the threats in the vicinity.

I couldn't see who was banging on the metal door to the bunker inside the building, but my heart fell when I spotted Alice mindlessly pounding her tiny fists on the little grate that perched on top of the shelter. I knew Em had spotted her as soon as he let loose a string of profanities under his breath and looked my way. We skidded to a silent halt at the edge of the trees, just as he turned toward me, eyeing me carefully, and then looked down at the newest crescent-shaped scar on his arm. One I had given him the night that Bella had entered the bunker.

He hadn't blamed me. Alice had been my wife and companion for decades. I knew I would mourn her once this was all over and done if Carlisle couldn't find a cure, but that wasn't something I wanted to think about just yet. After everything I had witnessed lately, I needed to hold on to any sliver of hope I could find.

When we rushed out of the house after Carlisle informed us that Edward was showing signs of the contagion, we were all full of the same disbelief. I had never heard of any illness or virus afflicting a vampire, and I had hoped that Carlisle's concern was overshadowing his reason. Even after we reached the woods behind Bella's house and caught the strange scent - of what we would soon learn was Charlie - and saw Alice standing there cradling her arm, I had trouble grasping the situation. I remembered that Emmett and Esme headed straight to Carlisle to get a better understanding of the situation while I tended to Ali.

I remembered how obvious it was that she was distressed. I couldn't wait to go find that brother of mine and literally rip him a new asshole for laying a hand on my wife, but that would have to wait. I sent Alice a good dose of calm and she looked up into my eyes, full of gratitude. But, there was still a river of sadness running through them.

"I'm fine, Jasper," her voice matching the uncertainty I could feel rolling off of her as she looked down at the wound on her arm.

"What? You're the empath now?" I had joked, trying to mask the worry she saw clearly in my eyes.

Shaking her head, she looked back up at me. Her eyes were wide, scared even, but there was so much more hidden there than just fear. "No, but I've known you long enough to know that look. I'll be fine," she said.

I didn't believe her.

"What have you seen?" It seemed like second nature to always ask what she had seen of the future. He visions, although not always concrete, were always helpful in guiding our decisions. We would need them now more than ever.

Her eyes glassed over, just like they always did when she slipped into the future, but she immediately started shaking her head. She did this for a few moments before they cleared and she focused back onto me, "Nothing."

"Nothing at all?" That was unusual.

"Just random, hazy images. Nothing definite or helpful," she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts, as Esme and Emmett approached us. "Nothing makes sense."

We were interrupted by our phones buzzing, all of us receiving a text from Carlisle. Charlie had escaped from the hospital and had managed to bite, and possibly infect, more people. It was imperative for us to find Charlie, Patient Zero, if Carlisle would have any chance of reverse engineering a cure. We had two monsters out there that we needed to round up, and the town was ripe with humans for them to infect. We needed bait. But I wanted to spend as much time with Alice as I could, so I formulated a plan while I sat and talked with my wife.

"Emmett, you and Esme go see if you can find scent trails for Edward or Charlie. If you find something, call or text immediately. If you don't, return back here. Make sure to stay together and be vigilant! I'll stay here and look after Alice. If anything changes, I'll let you know."

They both gave Alice a forlorn look and headed off to find any sign of Edward or Charlie.

I knelt down beside her and examined the damage to her arm. It looked like a savage bite mark; her skin was brutally mauled. If she were human, I would have compared it to a lion eating its prey. I hadn't seen damage like this to a vampire since the wars, and I couldn't help the worry that rolled off of me as I noticed the discoloration of the skin.

"Jasper?" The shaking of her voice pulled my attention away from the bite and back to her. I knew something was very wrong as I realized just how unwell she looked, which is damn near impossible for our kind. I focused more on her emotions and realized she was more scared than I had originally thought, and that terrified me.

"I don't know what this is or what is happening to everyone, but after seeing Charlie and Edward, I know that this isn't going to be good," she said, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

I wrapped my arms around her and she leaned into me, clutching my shirt tightly. "It's going to be alright, Ali, you'll see." I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince her or myself, but it didn't seem to be working either way.

"You didn't see what happened to them, how... lost they were. It was like they didn't know who they were," she whispered, her voice still shaking. "I don't want to end up like that, but I know it's coming. I don't need a vision to tell me that I'm going to end up just like them. It's common sense. Charlie bit Edward, and then he bit me. I'm going to..."

"Alice, don't talk like that! You don't know for sure what is going to happen," I interrupted, trying to calm her.

"I have to tell you something, and I'm not sure how much time I have to tell you," she said as she lifted her head from my chest. I was startled to see how dark her eyes were, even though we had just hunted. Her skin was turning an odd green color and her eyes seemed out of focus.

_Fuck, this can't be happening. _

"Alice, I..."

"Just listen, Jasper, please," she begged, and the urgency that was now in her voice made me shut up and listen. If my heart would have still been beating, it'd be pumping a million miles a minute.

"You have to take care of them," as soon as the words were out of her mouth, my head shook back and forth. I didn't want to hear this right now, but she wasn't stopping.

"Especially Bella. Edward and I are unable to, and I know she'll need you. Please, take care of her." I watched as she pleaded with me, and although the words echoed through my head, my sole focus was on her face.

The whites of her eyes were starting to turn black, and her skin looked like it could crack open at any second. I was so overwhelmed with the site before me, I wasn't capable of responding properly. I didn't know what to do or say or think or... what the hell was happening?

"Alice," I started, trying to find the words to say but coming up remarkably fucking short.

Her body shook and her eyes began to dart around. I could tell she was trying to focus on me, but she was having a hard time doing so. I put my hands on the sides of her cheeks to help her focus as I injected the air around us with calm, for both of our sakes.

As soon as my hand made contact with her right cheek, her skin split open across her cheekbone. I snapped my hand back just as she let out a wicked growl._ That shit had to hurt._ I watched in shocked horror as venom began to leak out of the crack and down her neck, and an awful smell filled my nose. It was coming from her.

"Oh god, Jasper! Please just kill me! I don't want this to happen," her voice was strained. It sounded nothing like my wife. I stood quickly and took a step back, just in case she tried to bite me. This seemed to be how Edward and she had been injected with this thing, and I didn't want to take any chances.

This shit _is_ happening, I thought. _It's really fucking happening._

I was frozen in complete dismay at the fucked-up-ness of it all. My wife was infected with whatever Charlie and Edward had, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Then, a scent hit my nose, carried through the early morning breeze just as it had been many times before: the scent of a human. It was faint, but it was there, and I wasn't the only one who caught it. Alice's head shot up and her nostrils flared as she moaned and stood. Her reaction snapped me out of my dismay and sent me into motion.

I grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to the side and picking her up so she couldn't follow the scent. It was ironic. The Cullens—especially Edward and Alice—had spent so much time keeping me from attacking humans, and now the tables were turned.

Her strength had waned slightly, something I would have to inform Carlisle of, otherwise I would have had more difficulty controlling her. She was struggling like mad, but even when I had to rearrange my grip I wasn't worried about her escaping. The surreal feeling had returned. I could not remember a time I had ever had to restrain Alice from anything, except maybe running my credit card up. Standing here now as she fought against the restraint of my arms, made me feel like I was having an out of body experience.

I don't know how long I held her struggling body against mine before I heard Esme and Emmett's return. They must not have found Charlie's or Edward's scent. Although I was disappointed with that, I couldn't deny the feelings of gratefulness that washed over me at their arrival.

Esme's paternal instincts kicked in as soon as she saw Alice. She ignored the danger Alice posed and stopped right in front of her, trying to put her hand on Alice's face in order to comfort her.

"Esme, don't!" I yelled trying to pull Alice further away from her, but it was too late.

Before I could move Alice a safe distance away, she turned her face, snapping at Esme. My mother pulled her hand back quickly as she let out a gasp, shocked that Alice would attempt to bite her, and I caught a good look at her forearm where there was a glistening bite that was oozing venom and a black oil-like substance.

It was too much. My wife and my mother. One had changed into a mindless drone and the other was probably carrying whatever this contagion was. I didn't know how we were going to be able to look for Charlie and keep track of both without getting bitten. But if we didn't look for Charlie, there was no chance of saving either of them.

"Emmett, what happened?" My tone was accusing, and he immediately looked down at his shoes. Yes, the women of our family could hold their own, but it made no difference. The male ego was strong, and defending the females of our coven was still engrained in all of our psyches.

"Edward found us. He's a fast fucker. We'd been tracking him for a while - just watching him and trying to figure out a way to capture him without getting bitten. Dude, he's lost his marbles. We saw him picking his nose, Jasper. _Edward_. Mr. Propriety _picked his nose,_ _and then humped a fucking boulder_. Of course, this was after he ate someone. We came across the body after the fact. There was nothing we could do."

Esme shuddered. Whatever he'd done, it must not have been pretty. But after having Alice change and still struggling in my arms, my priorities were getting Esme and Alice help.

"When we tried to approach him, he took off. We were able track him until he hit the river. We lost his scent after that. Fuckwad's probably humping fish now," Emmett seemed to look off thoughtfully, causing me to roll my eyes and focus on the important tasks ahead.

"Esme, we need to get you to Carlisle right away. The change happens fairly quick. I'd say within the next hour or so. Let's get you to the hospital, and maybe Carlisle can help us figure out what to do from here."

Alice began struggling again - moaning and snapping at everything. I was grateful I was able to get a hold on her where she couldn't reach my skin. She'd probably try to bite me too, and fuck if I wanted to be found humping light poles and sticking my finger up my ass. I shivered at the thought.

"Jasper, I hate to say it, bro, but we seriously need to do something with Alice. There's no way we'll be able to just hold her forever. We need to find Edward and Charlie as soon as possible, and we'll need your help," Emmett said remorsefully.

"We need to get her to Carlisle, Emmett. Maybe he can help her," I said, knowing Carlisle would know what to do.

"We don't have time! We need to do something with her now, before we lose their scents completely."

"What do you suggest? It's not like I can just chain her to a tree for someone to find!" I snapped. _What the fuck good would that do? _

"Look, she's still a vampire - albeit a smelly, crazed one - but we can just dismember her ass, leaving her Milano Blancs'—or whatever the fuck they're called— in place, and then put her back together later on when we have a cure. Simple." He said as if it was the most brilliant plan ever. It just pissed me off.

Before I could protest, he made a move to grab her neck. I couldn't help the feelings of possessiveness that took over me. Alice might have been a little fucked up at the moment, but she was still my wife. .

I swirled her around to my right side, securing both her tiny arms in one of mine, and growled, "Back the fuck off, dude. You could kill her if you do that!" I was furious that he would even suggest it. We didn't know what side effects this contagion had. Judging from her lack of strength, there was a possibility she had lost more vampire abilities; regeneration being one of them.

Emmett must have lost his fucking mind, because he tried to dart around me and grab her neck again, bringing his hands insanely close to her teeth. I wasn't sure if I was protecting him or protecting Alice, but I couldn't stop myself from sinking my teeth into his forearm as I gripped Alice tighter, trying to keep her as far away from his as possible.

"What the fuck, Jasper?" he growled, snatching his hand back immediately. I saw a good bit of venom oozing from the wound and realized just how much I must have injected into him. That was going to hurt for a while.

"Emmett, we know nothing about this shit that she's carrying. I've already noticed she's lost a good bit of her strength. Who knows what other abilities she could have lost, including the ability to regenerate."

Esme watched on horrified at the exchange, but I could sense her agreement. She was starting to look a little sick, and I knew we didn't have much time. We needed to move now.

Emmett glared at me for a moment before I could feel his understanding settling in too. He continued to rub the bite mark I left on his forearm and hung his head, "You're right. We don't know anything. We should take her to Carlisle before we do anything."

He glanced at Esme, obviously noticing the subtle changes in her already, "I'm sorry, Jasper, but maybe we can talk about this later?"

I nodded before securing Alice a little better in arms. She was still struggling slightly, but the moans had calmed somewhat now that we couldn't smell the humans anymore. I was grateful for that at least.

"Just...keep your fucking hands to yourself, alright? I don't want you to end up bitten. Let's get a move on." I left no room for discussion. I was anxious to see Carlisle.

We headed off toward the hospital on foot, slower than we would normally have, but Alice had started to struggle again. If I had help from anyone carrying her, they would've run the risk of getting bitten and infected. I would rather be slow than worry about her harming someone else. I also didn't trust Emmett to get close enough to her at this point.

When we were halfway to the hospital, we heard someone running toward us at vampire speed. Both Esme and Emmett crouched, ready to attack if necessary. I loathed the fact that I had Alice in my arms because I was more battle-ready than both of them combined, but my fears were almost instantly allayed when we caught the scent of Rose approaching.

Emmett's relief cascaded over me at seeing his mate, and he gave her a huge hug before asking her, "Where the hell is Bella?"

Rose pulled away from him, narrowed her eyes and growled back, "She's fine! Safely locked away in the fallout shelter. We heard you fighting over the phone, and I couldn't bear the thought…" Her voice cracked and her features softened as she finished, "Are you okay?"

She was not only speaking to Emmett, but to me as well, eying Alice with a sadness in her eyes and looking at Esme with concern over her obviously ailing state. I could feel her despair. Rose would always fiercely defend her family - just as I would - but this was something that left both of us feeling helpless.

When Rose had been quickly filled in on the night's activities, we all headed off to the hospital in order to receive guidance and help from Carlisle. Esme was looking worse and slowing down, so Emmett picked her up and carried her in the same hold I was using on Alice. We hadn't made it another fifty meters before the sound of branches breaking under swift feet reached our ears and we stiffened once more. I could feel this person and their emotions told me they were frenzied.

Emmett quickly sat Esme on her feet and turned toward the threat, but Edward had already come out of the darkness, barreling directly into me. I lost my hold on Alice as Edward's jaw snapped millimeters away from my nose. I managed to push my knees up and flip him over me. I heard Emmett curse and felt a stab of pain from him, but I was too focused on Edward to pay attention to Em. I couldn't see any of my family, but I could feel them. They seemed fine at the moment, except for the fear and concern.

I focused on my target, and put the concern for my family out of my mind. I couldn't allow myself to get distracted since Edward was the greater threat at the moment. His features were more vampiric than Alice's, but he had a milky look to his eyes and his skin was slightly greyer. His speed was still there, which was my main concern at the moment. Unlike Alice, his emotions were strong. Whereas Alice's had become nothing but a dull hunger, Edward was focused, but rage with a touch of underlying fear was his dominant emotion.

I could see him eyeing me closely, but his eyes kept darting over to where Emmett, Esme and Rose were. I waited until he was distracted again, looking at the other three, before I lunged toward him, trying to get my arms around him.

But it was obvious that his mind reading abilities were still functioning on some level, because he managed to sidestep me at the last moment before taking off into the forest - his fight or flight instincts taking hold. I started to take off after him, but Rose called my name. I felt her urgency.

I waited until I could no longer hear his footsteps in the distance before I turned to my sister. She was bent down over Emmett, who had a fresh bite mark on the same hand that I had bitten him earlier. He looked up into my eyes and said, "Alice. She got away, bro. I'm sorry. I was focused on her, and then she bit me, and I fucking froze. Rose chased her for a bit, but circled back. And Esme's in no state to do shit right now. Fuck, she's not even yelling at me for my potty mouth."

He was right. Esme looked like shit. She was propped up against a tree. Her skin was grey and mottled already, and she looked so weak. I nodded once, irritated that Alice had escaped, but I planned to make her my number one priority once I reached Carlisle.

My eyes darted to Emmett's hand and noticed he was holding what looked like a piece of skin. He saw where my gaze was focused, and opened his hand, "Oh, that's gross," he said before I realized it was a piece of Alice's face. " A piece of it must have came off while I was trying to grab her."

I closed my eyes to focus. Although I could feel my undead heart breaking at the thought of her running loose, Alice would have to wait. If she was herself, she would be insistent that I tend to Esme and Emmett first, so that's what I planned on doing. Esme was the heart of our family. I didn't think any of us could bear the thought of losing her.

I could feel Rose's panic as she eyed her husband's bite mark. I flooded the area with calm, hoping it would be enough for her to focus. If Em started turning, we'd be in a world of hurt due to his strength, so I knew our only option was to keep our heads and find Carlisle.

"Come on. We don't have much time," I said, focusing on Esme, who was looking worse by the minute.

_Fuck! I'm going to lose my whole family to this shit. _

Rosalie was filled with worry, but it was manageable. I picked Esme up and continued on to the hospital. We were there in no time. We entered the front room, noticing it was filled with people. There had apparently been a four-car pileup just outside of town, so they were extremely busy. I wondered if it had anything to do with Edward or Alice, but my main concern was Esme and Em. We'd worry about Edward's destruction later.

The whole hospital smelled like death; the blood was most prominent. I could feel my bloodlust skyrocket, and stopped breathing immediately. I did everything I could to focus on my task to keep the thoughts of blood from running rampant.

No one paid us any attention as we entered. Since the staff was overwhelmed with others, we just made our way straight back to Carlisle's office, hoping to find him there. It was easy enough to recognize his voice just outside the intensive care unit.

"...get a good sample of his blood, I might be able to find a cure for this. It's the only way."

"We need you here, Dr. Cullen. If you haven't noticed, we're overrun with cases..."

"I understand that completely, Dr. Gerandy. However if we don't find the source of the contagion, then there will be no one left to look after the sick. I am an expert tracker and camper. I have the skills necessary to hunt him down. Finding Charlie Swan should be our top priority."

I could hear Carlisle's voice rising as we got closer, so I sent them both a wave of calm. He was going to need it when he figured out I was carrying his infected mate in my arms.

I knew he heard our approach, but he pretended not to notice us as we rounded the corner and came into view. I could also tell the exact moment he realized something was wrong with Esme. His shoulders stiffened, and his anxiety skyrocketed.

"Dad!" Emmett said to gain his attention, even if it was only for Dr. Gerandy's sake.

Carlisle spun around almost too quickly, and his eyes found Esme in my arms immediately. His eyes widened and a strangled gasp left his lips as he saw the state of his wife.

"She doesn't have long, Carlisle. I'm so sorry," I told him, too low for any human to hear.

"Esme..." was all he seemed capable of saying. I couldn't blame him. After seeing Alice going through the same thing, I understood all too well what he was feeling, even without my empathic abilities.

Esme moaned and started to twitch slightly in my arms. Carlisle's watched her thoughtfully for a few moments before hardening his expression and turning to Dr. Gerandy, "Fire me if you must, but my sole objective is to find a Charlie Swan and hopefully a cure. If you'll excuse me, Dr., I'll be on my way now."

With that he turned and scooped Esme out of my arms gently while whispering sweet, loving words. I cautioned him to be careful of her teeth; after all, the last thing we needed was for Carlisle to be changed. He was our only hope, but I knew better than to try and part him from his mate. We made our way to the parking garage and to Carlisle's Mercedes. I offered to drive so Rose could take care of Emmett. He wasn't showing signs of the change yet, but I knew it would be a matter of time. Emmett filled Carlisle in on all that happened as we made our way home.

I drove as fast as I could as Esme's moans grew louder. It broke my heart to witness her suffering. She was the closest thing to a mother I had ever had - well, at least that I could remember. She deserved this pain and suffering the least out of all of us.

I pulled into the garage quickly. We all piled out, entering the house in silence with the exception of Esme's moans. It wasn't long after that she began thrashing wildly in his arms. I could feel his sadness and heartbreak, but also his determination as he held her tightly against his chest. He would find cure, if for no other reason than to save Esme. I was sure of it.

We all stood quietly in the living room watching the man we all looked up to, the head of our family, trying his best not to break down. We knew he needed a little time to come to terms with what had happened and we gave him that. I had to give him credit. He was the epitome of calm on the outside aside from the heartbroken expression he wore, but on the inside, he was a mess. I kept monitoring Emmett's emotions and demeanor because Carlisle was too preoccupied with Esme to pay Emmett any notice - not that I blamed him.

I sent small doses of calm toward Carlisle to help with his grief. I knew the stoic head of our family was having difficulty wading through all of the recent tragedies, but we needed him here if we were going to survive this. At the same time, I didn't want to push him too hard, so I kept quiet and waited for his instructions. After several long minutes his emotions shifted, matching how he normally felt when he was in his lab, and I knew his head was finally in the right place.

"It was the cure," he nearly whispered, even for our hearing.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked hopefully. "You know what will cure this?"

"No, I mean it was the venom research I was conducting to return Edward to his human self. I'm absolutely sure of it… When Charlie arrived bleeding, my first thought was to staunch the blood flow so none of the family would be tempted by the scent. I was cleaning up in the basement and wiped my hands on my trousers, but it wasn't enough. This is my fault," he closed his eyes and gripped Esme a little tighter.

"You can't..." Rosalie said, but you Carlisle cut her off.

"Rose, please, I know there is no point in placing blame now, but this helps me understand this a little better." He wasn't leaving any room for argument. He was going to take the blame on himself, and there was nothing we could do to prevent that.

We waited patiently for him to continue his line of thought. His emotions made me hopeful, because he was feeling like he was going in the right direction. He started to move towards the basement stairs while he continued.

"I'm hypothesizing here, but I believe that the contagion is diluted with every bite. Charlie has the most potent contagion in his system, and Edward is the next potent. It is quite possible that the amount of contagion in his venom did not have time to regenerate, or the contagion has a very short half-life. I will have to do more study. Thankfully, Esme is weak enough to detain."

Carlisle looked upon his mate with unshed tears of venom in his eyes. Emmett and I helped him carry her down to the basement, and neither Carlisle nor I protested since Em seemed to be doing fine. As we entered the area where this fucking mess all started, Rose went upstairs and carried down the mattress and bed frame from her room. We quickly assembled it while Carlisle restrained Esme. Once it was all set up, he placed her on the bed and we used some of Rose's tow cable from the garage to tie her to the mattress. As painful as it was to see her like this, at least she would be safe. Hopefully, Carlisle could study her and find a cure for this shit.

Once she was as comfortable as we could make her in her current state, Carlisle turned to Emmett who was standing to the side, feeling depressed and helpless as he waited for the change to take hold on him. Carlisle examined him thoughtfully for a moment before asking him how he felt.

"I feel fine," Emmett answered in confusion.

"I believe if you were infected, the contagion would have shown some signs by now. I would like to take a venom sample and have Rosalie keep an eye on you for a while to be sure, but I believe it's safe to say that you dodged a bullet, son."

Relief flowed through me. Some of it was my own, and the rest belonged to Em and Rose. If Emmett wasn't infected, we could only hope that this contagion would run its course once we had Charlie, Edward and Alice under wraps, somehow. Right now, I didn't see a way - other than final death - to control them. They weren't like Esme. Unless we could trap them somewhere…

As for any others that had become infected, if they were weak, it would be best to keep them away from the uninfected and round them up. As Carlisle took swabs and samples from Emmett's mouth and around the bite Alice had inflicted, I started formulating a plan of attack.

"I think I have a way to round up some of the infected, Carlisle. I would suggest that Emmett and Rose go to search for Charlie, Edward and Alice, while I gather intel."

He opened up his mouth to argue, so I sent him a good dose of determination. We had to find out more, and the only way we could do that is if we gathered information while searching for the others. He finally nodded, agreeing to my plan.

"Rose and Em, stay together. If you come across Charlie or Edward and you think they're going to turn on you, run. Don't try to take them down and run the chance of getting infected. You've been lucky once, Em, but we need you both."

Carlisle piped in, "I took tissue samples from those that were bitten at the hospital, but I need as many as possible to come up with a plausible explanation as to why some show vampiric qualities, yet others' abilities and bodies are decaying at an increased rate. Be prudent, but if you can procure samples without putting yourselves in harm's way, then please do so. We must contain this contagion, so I shall call Dr. Gerandy and insist on a quarantine order. The uninfected can stay in their homes, and hopefully be escorted to a safe area soon."

We all agreed that this was the best course of action, so we headed out with a last warning for Carlisle to be careful with Esme. We couldn't risk our only hope getting the contagion. If anyone was to figure out a way to reverse this thing, it would be Carlisle.

As soon as the metal shutters were down, and the house was as impenetrable as it could get, we separated. Em and Rose set off to run a perimeter around Forks, trying to locate the general vicinity of the three menaces that were running loose. Once they were off, I began searching for Alice. I remembered the amount of bloodlust Alice feltwhen she caught the whiff of human earlier, so I figured she'd already killed by now. I decided to follow her scent and see if I could find any casualties. It didn't take long. Alice was running off of the need to feed, so she hadn't ventured far before finding her first meal.

It was Mrs. Cope. She was spread eagle on her kitchen floor with her throat ripped out and her right arm completely detached from her body. Tiny bits of skin had been flayed off of her cheek when Alice had bitten into it, ripping out a large chunk of flesh. Her arm was discarded near the door; the meat had been ripped clean off.

Even as the smell of blood hit the air, I noticed my bloodlust was minimal. The smell that emitted from her rotting flesh was enough to make me want to gag if such a thing were possible. I was thankful for that, but it was the realization that Alice was no longer partaking in just blood, but eating the flesh of her victims that made me want to vomit.

The part that concerned me the most was that the decaying odor that hung in the air was emanating from Mrs. Cope. She was changing. Even in her current state, I had no doubt she would become like Alice and Edward. She would be perfect for what I had planned. I stripped the sheet off of her bed and quickly dismembered the rest of her body and then wrapped her up and threw her over my shoulder.

I knew I would most likely be able to catch up with Alice if I followed her directly, but Carlisle had made it abundantly clear that he needed Charlie to fix any of this. I couldn't feel her hunger in the vicinity, just pain from the humans in the area. I weighed my options, and then continued on my path to set up a trap, knowing I could call Emmett and Rose as soon as I was done to try to round them up separately.

I went into her garage and gathered supplies that I would need, and then I checked the houses in the vicinity that had people in pain. Sure enough, I found more going through the change, so I gathered up as many victims as I could carry before heading deeper into the forest. As I ran, I discarded body parts to leave a trail of breadcrumbs. If they did crave flesh, then they'd fall directly into my trap. I found an area with Rose and Emmett's recent scent, but also faint trails from Edward and Alice. They had both been through here at least once; Edward multiple times.

I threw everything on the ground and got to work. I took a rope and hung Mrs. Cope's parts up in the trees just out of reach, then went and tracked a mountain lion and a fox. They were Edward's and Alice's favorites, so I hoped the smell would entice them if they still craved blood. I ripped the animals open and scattered their blood around the area, hanging their flesh from the trees just like I had done with the high school secretary. I laid the untouched body of another human—an elderly man I wasn't familiar with—on the ground in the middle of the circle. He seemed to be going through some sort of change and I wanted to witness it.

I called Emmett and told him where to meet me. If we were going to have a live one on our hands, along with the others I hoped to attract, then I was going to need help. As they approached, I could feel Emmett's and Rose's disgust as they took in the sight of my bait, but this was the easiest way to entice them to us.

"I didn't kill Mrs. Cope. I found her in her home. From the smell of her, she was starting to change, so be careful around her fluids. Did you find anything?"

The fact that I hadn't killed her seemed to placate them slightly. Of course, I didn't tell them who had killed her or that I dismembered her. I changed the subject because I wanted to know if there was a discernible pattern that those with the contagion were following, or if they were running around like newly-changed newborns feeding at will.

"No, man. We followed Zombie Edward's scent for a while, but he seems to be running around with no pattern whatsoever - not even toward the town - while Zombie Charlie and Zombie Alice are doing just the opposite."

I cocked my head at Emmett's use of the word 'zombie'. "Well, I haven't had contact with Charlie yet, but there's something different about Edward's emotions compared to Alice's. Alice is more…" I choked on the last word, "…dead. I know from our encounter earlier that Edward still had brain function and is pissed. But he ran off - either because his instincts told him we were a threat or because he is fighting whatever this is. Hell, if anyone could repress their instincts enough to try and hide, it would be Edward. He's had so much practice, which means he isn't our main concern. Or, he's off humping boulders again. Either way, let's focus on Alice and Charlie. Oh, and _zombie_, Emmett? _Really?"_

I could feel his conviction with a touch of amusement. Only Em could find humor in this situation. He smiled and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Yes, Jasper. _Really._ They moan a lot from what I've heard. If you look at what's left of Mrs. Cope, it's obvious they eat flesh. They smell like death. All of the signs are there, well, except for dancing with Michael Jackson, _Thriller_ style. They're zombies, dude."

I just shook my head at his last comment, but he was right. The description of zombies did fit. I thought back to the smell of Mrs. Cope when I found her and her current smell. It had changed. She smelled more like a corpse than the man on the ground, whose _zombie_ scent was getting more pronounced by the minute. It made me wonder.

"Em, I'm sure Mrs. Cope was changing before I dismembered her fully," Rosalie cringed, but I ignored it. "I wonder if decapitation works like in the mythology?"

He shrugged, "Well, there's only one way to find out, bro. When wrinkled balls here wakes up and goes all Captain Cannibal on us, we can help him lose his head."

"Wrinkled balls, Emmett?" Rose crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, if you haven't noticed, he's wearing a bathrobe and his old, wrinkled balls are hanging out the side of his boxers. Jasper didn't cover them up because he loves the cock."

As Emmett began chuckling at his joke, Rosalie swung her arm up quickly and whacked him on the back of the head. He cringed and rubbed the spot she'd smacked, while I stuck my foot out and covered up the man's genitals with his robe.

Sure enough, we didn't have to wait long before I felt a bunch of hungry fuckers heading our way, just as the man lying on the forest floor started to stir. Em pushed Rose behind him as the man's eyes flew open. He moaned as he sat up awkwardly. He fumbled until he was on his knees and began crawling toward me: his nearest target. Black ooze was pouring from his mouth, but he was moving slower than any of the others that I'd come across. He reached out tentatively and tried to grab my pants, but I stepped back out of his reach as Emmett pounced on him from behind and wrenched his head from his shoulders.

What we weren't expecting was for gallons of the fucking black substance to shoot out of him like arterial spray. All three of us ducked and covered to avoid ingesting any of the shit. After his tank was empty, I stood up first and gave the all clear. Emmett stood, shocked, and covered from head to toe in the black fluid.

"Hurry to the stream and wash that shit off, Em! Now!"

He and Rose dashed off into the forest toward the stream. I contemplated taking my shirt off since it had spots of the goo on it, but it wasn't too bad and from what I was sensing, more of the fuckers were heading this way. As fast as Alice had went through people in the town, I wondered if it would even be possible to stop the contagion from spreading, if there were any hope at all.

Charlie and Edward had both bitten others, but at the same time, they hadn't went on a feeding frenzy in town - that we knew of yet - so why was Alice so different? Why was she slower and hungrier? Could we stop these bastards before the contagion spread?

I couldn't help but feel that this was all my fault. If I would have had the courage to dispose of Alice when she was changing -_when she begged me to kill her, _Iadded in the back of my mind- this wouldn't have happened. I couldn't bear the thought of living without the one person who taught me to love, who taught me that there was a life for me outside of torture and killing, and it had cost this town dearly.

I saw the first zombies shuffling toward me, and I could tell that they were more of the same. Slow, decaying, and basically fitting the normal description of a zombie. There were seven of them. Two were children.

One thing was certain, if any of these _things_ were in the vicinity, I better stay away from humans. Their overabundance of hunger was making my body shake with need. I heard heartbeats nearby and before I could register what I was doing, I took off in their direction, ignoring the zombies completely due to my overwhelming need for blood.

Thankfully, the heartbeats were a herd of deer. I drained three before being able to gather my senses enough to focus on my previous task: rounding up the zombies and finding Charlie.

As I hurried back to the bait, I wondered if it would ever be possible to find a cure for this shit. Carlisle wouldn't rest until he found a cure or everyone who had been turned by this contagion had found final death. But how long would it take? They were obviously decaying, so could their flesh be regenerated? I knew that if you were injured as a human before the change, a vampire's venom could regenerate the damaged tissues even if scarring had already occurred. But could anything turn rotted, decayed flesh into healthy flesh once more?

I wondered if Carlisle would be upset with me for the decision that was solidifying in my mind. Yes, we should save as many as we could, but if we removed the threat by culling the herd, then more people that were unchanged would have a greater chance of surviving. The hope for those changed was slim now as it was. Although I prayed that Alice and Esme could be returned to their vampiric state through regeneration, I didn't believe these humans had any hope.

Their slow, shuffling movements meant that none of them had made it to my trap yet, so I acted quickly, before Rosalie could return and protest. I could almost hear her berating me because every human life was precious, but at the same time, even she had to admit that these things were not human anymore and death would be a gift to them. I attacked the children first, hoping to have their remains disposed of before she returned. I killed quickly, removing their heads, grateful that their hunger was so strong they felt no pain. I went through the rest of them and had a fire started and the children's remains destroyed before she and Emmett returned.

I did a double take at Em as he entered the clearing, wearing nothing but a pair of briefs that had little pink hearts all over them with the words "hot stuff" embossed in gold over the hearts. I just shook my head.

"What? It's not like I was going to keep wearing the clothes with zombie snot all over them. I'll go pick up new clothes later so you won't be tempted by my sexiness, since we all know you love the cock."

Rose stepped forward, ignoring her husband's idiocy, and pointed to the fire as she sent me curiosity.

"These aren't much of a threat right now, Rose. It seems that the ones Alice has turned are all slow and barely functioning. The smell of death is so strong in them, they aren't healing, as you can see from Alice's bite marks, and they constantly ooze that black shit. I figured if we're going to try and contain this shit and save the people we can save, then burning the bodies in order to destroy the contagion is our best bet."

I could feel her sadness and revulsion. She didn't want to kill these things any more than I did, but she was thinking from an emotional point of view, where I was trying to come from a tactical perspective. At least she didn't have all of their deaths weighing on her shoulders like I did.

"Look, I take full responsibility for these deaths. We can take these samples to Carlisle, and he can tell us if I did the right thing or not. If he says there's hope for them, we can round them up and put them…somewhere."

"Jasper, I trust you and your judgment, but I would like to get Carlisle's opinion. I just think it's too soon - just in case Carlisle can find a cure. We should be out hunting down Alice since it's obviously her going on a killing spree in town at the moment. Then, we can find Edward and Charlie."

We ran off toward town, but before we even reached the epicenter of the attacks, I could feel the bloodlust slam into me full force. It was like a wrecking ball, and I was soon lost to the hunger. When I came to, we were in the forest, and there were half a dozen animal carcasses strewn around me. Emmett was nursing yet another bite from me, and Rosalie was disheveled: her shirt torn and her hair a mess.

"What happened?" I asked in complete shock.

Emmett still had his arms wrapped around my torso, not trusting that I was in enough control of myself to be released.

"You lost it, dude. I don't know what happened to you, but you started snarling and going fucking nuts. At first we thought you'd been bitten, but we didn't see any marks and figured you'd tell us if you had. Then Rose thought maybe it was bloodlust, so we brought you out here to get you a snack."

"Did I kill anyone this time?" Emmett finally decided that I was docile enough to release, so he let go and went to stand next to his wife. I crouched down and rubbed my face, trying to get a grasp of the entire, overwhelming situation.

Rose answered my question. "No. We managed to restrain you before you could, but it was close. What the hell happened back there?"

I looked at my sister. You didn't have to be an empath to see the concern and worry in her eyes. I hated that I had put it there after all we'd already been through.

"When they turn, they're only hungry. And it's a hunger that is so overwhelming, I just can't describe it, Rose. I lost myself to it, and I'm sorry. I think I'm going to have to feed before we head into a group of them, and if there are humans around, I need to avoid the area completely. I'm so sorry."

"Well, fuck, that complicates things a bit, doesn't it? I say we head back to Carlisle and tell him what's going on and regroup. We don't need you running around acting like the town's full of double-chocolate chips and you're the cookie monster."

Knowing we couldn't do any more right now, we headed back toward home, hoping that Carlisle might have found something while we were playing Rambo in the woods. It was easy to see that shit was quickly getting out of hand. Once again, I was the weakest link in the family due to my ability. I had to figure out a way to get my shit under control, otherwise I'd be more of a hindrance to them.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Alice had disappeared off of the grid, which was good because it meant she wasn't eating any townsfolk, but at the same time, we were concerned she'd pop up somewhere halfway across the country. The news reports didn't indicate this, though. There were no outbreaks anywhere but in our small county. Since there was a containment area surrounding it, we knew it was likely that this outbreak would stay contained if we could keep the fast fuckers under control.

We'd come across four that Charlie or Edward had fed from in the last week. Four fast fuckers, and that was four too many. All of them were still slower than Edward or Charlie, and although they resembled vampires, it was to a lesser degree. The only consolation was that it seemed that Charlie and Edward had to feed less than the others. It meant we had fewer fast fuckers running around. Working together, Rose, Em and I had easily been able to destroy them, but we still couldn't keep the shit from spreading.

The slow fuckers were breeding like mad before the containment. Now, most of the humans had holed up inside their houses, so even if the slow ones approached them, they weren't able to break in. The only problem stemmed from the fact that the slow ones seemed to latch onto a specific scent, and they wouldn't stop until they reached it. Since most of the humans were now confined to their houses, it meant there were a fuckton of slow ones in localized areas, unwilling to leave the scent of their preferred prey. It also meant that it was too dangerous for me to go into town without the risk of losing my shit. If we found a house that had been broken into on the outskirts, it was either Charlie, Edward, or the ones they'd spawned.

Carlisle hadn't protested when we told him that I destroyed some by fire. It was inevitable, and although I felt his guilt, he just asked us to use discretion. If they weren't a threat to a living being and they were not to the point of putrefaction, we should leave them in case he found a cure.

The zombies were slowing down even more, the stronger ones cannibalizing the weaker of their species. It looked like they needed the flesh as sustenance. Somehow it slowed the decay process. All in all, there were still about two hundred of the fuckers running loose, but until we could figure out a way for me to be unaffected by their hunger, we let them take over the town. Carlisle insisted it was just too dangerous to go into a concentrated area with just Rose and Em, since they didn't have the same "training" I'd had. He didn't want to lose any more of his family, and none of us blamed him. Thankfully, we had been able to help some of the families on the outskirts of Forks where the bloodlust didn't affect me as much.

We were all concerned about Bella, but we knew she was safe if she stayed put. At first we were just too damn busy to go after her, and then when we realized the fuckers latched onto a scent, it was too dangerous to try and retrieve her. If we led one to her, they'd do anything to track her if they liked the way she smelled. All of us knew she smelled heavenly to our kind; with her luck, she'd be zombie catnip as well. The slower zombies didn't stand a chance of breaking into the bunker, but Edward and Charlie could.

We knew Edward wanted her scent. When Emmett and Rose had left to "procure" more weapons from the outfitters store, they returned with tales of Bella's house ripped apart. Edward's new scent was the only discernable one within the house, and we knew it was imperative to keep him away from her. I spent every hour I could tracking him - making sure he didn't wander toward Hoquiam. I ended up taking some of her things and leaving false scent trails all over the area, leading him everywhere but Hoquiam. It was all we could do until we found a cure. Unless we sent him to his final death, and I just couldn't do that to Bella. I knew what it felt like to lose a mate to this shit, and I'd do everything in my power to keep her from feeling the same.

Carlisle had taken to feeding Esme animal flesh, which sustained her, and with some of her vampiric abilities still intact, she was able to keep regenerating. It gave all of us hope, but it still wasn't enough.

Charlie was a fast and stealthy fucker, and he seemed to know that we were after him. Whenever we'd get close, he'd run into town where we didn't follow. Carlisle had ordered all three of us to stay out of the town at all costs for now. He'd called the Denalis to ask for assistance, but Tanya had politely refused, unwilling to risk her coven's demise.

Now that the town had made news worldwide, it was just a matter of time before the Volturi descended and ripped all of us a new asshole. Personally, I was surprised they hadn't shown up yet.

Although, we should be upset with Tanya for not helping us when we needed it, Carlisle came up with another way for them to assist us without endangering themselves. He suggested we retrieve Bella, so Rosalie could take her to Alaska until this was sorted out. At least she would be safe from the Volturi and from the zombies. His plan required him to leave Esme long enough to leave some fresh Bella scent trails, giving us some time without having to worry about Edward, but he was willing.

None of us liked the idea of Carlisle heading out on his own. We argued relentlessly until he stated categorically that he would not leave Esme behind and that all three of us would be needed to guarantee Bella's safe arrival in Alaska. He logically added that he had been left alone many times in the house with Esme and as head of the Cullen family, it was his decision to make. It seemed to be the only way.

Still grumbling, we agreed and began formulating a plan of extraction for Bella and how to get her out of the containment area. The last part was easiest. It was impossible for them to cover every inch of the area around Forks due to the mountains and forest, so it would be fairly simple for us to run her out of the area, and then procure transportation. But we had no clue on how to get her out of the bunker if there were unfriendlies around. Especially since they put me in a state of bloodlust where I wouldn't think twice about attacking Bella.

Carlisle seemed sure that since I thought of her as family, I wouldn't be capable of harming her, but I had my doubts. Em and I spent an entire day hunting and gorging ourselves, just to put my mind at ease. I couldn't help but blame myself for so much, and if I attacked Bella, I was afraid I'd never be able to forgive myself.

None of us had expected this turn of events, and every member of the family blamed themselves for one reason or another. Carlisle blamed himself for not washing his hands when Charlie walked up to our doorstep with fresh blood pouring from his wound. I blamed myself because Carlisle had just been trying to cover the smell of blood by immediately attending to his wound, since I was in the house when he arrived. Emmett blamed himself because we were supposed to be on a hunting trip, but he had backed out at the last minute because of a silly argument with Rosalie. Rose blamed herself because the research was initially meant for her benefit, although she had asked for it to be discontinued when she found her mate. Maybe the blame rested with all of us for allowing a human to become close to our family. No matter what, we were all suffering for our mistakes.

And Bella had probably suffered the most. Locked up in a shelter with no news, wondering how we were all coping. We had debated going to check on her a few times, but the fact that we could be leading anyone to her hideout was reason enough to stay away until we were ready to grab her for good. Not to mention we had been too damn busy chopping the heads off of people like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only with zombies instead of college students.

So here we sat, in the forest, ready to rescue her from her underground hell. I could feel the hunger of the zombies, but it was controllable at the moment. I scanned the perimeter as Emmett put the finishing touches on his small homemade bomb. It amazed me sometimes how Carlisle could use his vampiric knowledge for good as a Doctor, but Emmett used his to blow shit up.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked with concern. I didn't answer him. Of course I didn't want to destroy my mate, but there was no other way. Her face was merely bone now from all of the decay, and the rest of her body wasn't much better. Testing her emotions, as well as the others, I knew they were all dead inside. That was not my wife banging on the air shaft to eat Bella alive. I knew Alice better than anyone, and I knew she would not want to survive like this. Unshed tears of venom pooled in my eyes as I tried to convince myself that there was no other way.

"Let's do it," he said, as we started to make our way towards the shelter. Emmett lit the end of one of the bombs and handed it to me, just as he made quick work of the other two and handed one to Rose.

"Aim for the ones on the bottom. We can get Alice separately after these are taken care of," I ordered, knowing that it would fall on my hands to destroy her. I cleared my mind as I threw my bottle at the largest group of zombies near the door. They never saw it coming, and they were blown to bits by the explosion.

Emmett and Rosalie threw theirs at two smaller groups: one near a tree and the other clawing at the Vanquish, probably because of Bella's lingering scent. I felt Rose's horror as the flames from Emmett's bomb engulfed the Vanquish, setting off a secondary explosion as the car's fuel line melted. Emmett had a smile ear to ear on his face until Rose gave him a look that could kill, then he replaced his smile with one more fitting of a funeral.

It had not escaped my notice that Alice hadn't even flinched as each of the bombs went off. She continued to bang on the grate, her rotted skin and muscle peeling off from her hands more every time they made contact with the metal. We dismembered the remaining horde and tossed them into the Vanquish funeral pyre.

Once they were all taken care of, I quickly made my way to the grate where Alice was still trying to get inside. I didn't want Rosalie or Emmett to have this on their conscience. I would take sole responsibility for killing Alice._ My Alice. _

My chest tightened as I took in her appearance. This was the woman who had given me so much hope in a life full of darkness, but I knew we weren't meant to be, no matter how much I cared for her. It would be painful to let her go, but if she had been my true mate - that one in a million vampire that was made just for me - it would be physically impossible for me to grab her neck and twist her head off her shoulders.

And that's exactly what I did.

A strangled sob threatened to leave my lips as I threw her body into the fire along with the rest of the zombie clan, but I held that shit in, knowing it would do me no good to mourn someone who was no longer in that body. Alice had died the moment she had been bitten. I hadn't realized that I had already accepted that.

I stood watching the fire while Rose and Em gathered up all the small pieces that had been blown from the bodies during the blasts. As heartbroken as I was, I couldn't help but feel more peaceful from the lack of the zombie's bloodlust. At least I had one thing to be thankful for. I had always liked to be the guy who saw the glass half full or some such bullshit.

"Let's get inside and see how Bella is doing," Rosalie said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I had been so focused on the task at hand that I had nearly forgotten she was inside.

I made my way to the front door of the bunker and moved some debris out of the way to make my way inside. We descended the stairs to the actual shelter before reaching the large door that separated us from the small human girl who meant so much to our family.

I knocked and called out her name several times, but there was no answer. If it weren't for her faint heartbeat, I might have panicked, but Rosalie filled us in on how she informed Bella not to open the door for anyone until she returned. Thinking she might be scared we had turned into zombiepires as well, I decided to use the crowbar in the tool cabinet beside the door to pry it open.

It took some leverage, but I was finally able to pry the door open just enough for us to squeeze through. I almost wished I hadn't, because as soon as the door opened slightly, we were assaulted with a smell almost as bad as the zombies'. It smelled like a fucking porta-potty, only so much worse.

Holding our breath, we each made our way inside. I don't think any of us were prepared for what we found. Bella was curled up on the floor with a small smile on her face and an empty bottle of bleach in her hand.

"What the motherfuck..." Emmett gasped as he took her in.

Her neck had dried blood running down each side and her ears were swollen. It was obvious the blood was from the large wounds in her ears, but what the fuck could that have come from? I looked around quickly to make sure one of the zombies hadn't been able to enter, only to find the room clear.

"Bella?" I called to her, but she didn't even flinch. Her emotions gave no indication that she even registered our presence.

"I don't think she can hear us," Rosalie said, just as she held up a pen with pieces of flesh, hair and dry blood wrapped around it. "Did she do this to herself?"

"My God..." I couldn't wrap my head around why she would stab a pen through her fucking brain, "What would make her do that?" I asked as I knelt beside her to get a better look at her injuries.

"It's zombie warfare," Emmett said seriously, as he stared at his sister in shock.

After I examined her ears, I looked her over for any other wounds, trying to breath as little as possible the smell that swirled around us. It was coming from an old surplus toilet barrel that Emmett had stuck in here for only God knows what reason. Probably to keep up appearances when ordering the supplies so many years ago.

"What are you going on about?" Rose snapped, clearly annoyed that he might be making jokes right now.

"I'm serious, baby. It's a form of psychological warfare, even if it is done unconsciously by the zombies," he said in a huff as if we were just completely stupid. "Think about staying in a dark, damp, shit smelling, rat hole for weeks on end and having to hear the moans and bangs and... what the fuck else those things were doing up there constantly. You'd stab your ear drums out too after so long."

As Emmett continued to "school" us in "zombie survival", I noticed the smell of bleach was strongest on Bella's clothing. But the most noticeable thing about her was the cracking around her eyelids. Upon a closer look, I could see a white film forming on her partially opened eyes. It almost looked as if someone had poured acid...

"She poured bleach in her eyes," I gasped just as I realized what she had done.

"Fuck!" Emmett turned back towards the door as grief overtook us all.

"Why would she do that?" Rosalie sobbed and came to sit on the other side of Bella. We were both too scared to touch her out of fear of causing her more harm, so we just sat and listened to her steady heartbeat, lost in our own thoughts.

Bella moved slightly, breaking us out of our thoughts, and Rose, not being able to take it any longer, gently touched her arm. Bella flinched at first, opening her mouth as if to scream, but Rosalie's long hair had fallen over her shoulder and slid lightly across Bella's face as she leaned over her. It could have been the smell of her shampoo or anything really, but Bella barely mouthed the word "Rose", before reaching up to clasp her hand.

Rosalie knew Bella couldn't hear her, but that didn't stop her from dry sobbing as she asked her for forgiveness over and over and gently scooped Bella up in her arms to cradle her. Bella continued to clasp Rosalie's hand tightly, but otherwise stayed completely still. She seemed confused but also relieved by her sister's sudden presence.

I had been keeping tabs on everyone's emotions at the moment, but then, I caught the distinct feeling of… more. Anger, hate, rage in large quantities. It was either Charlie or Edward and we were all down in this hole in the ground with Bella - trapped. It wasn't a good position to be in. We could dig our way out, but if any rubble fell upon us, it quite possibly could kill Bella.

"Shut the fucking door now, Emmett!" My yell echoed around the tiny room, and he jumped into action, slamming the door and locking it just as the emotions stopped directly overhead.

I knew whoever it was could probably hear Bella's heartbeat and smell our scent, but if they tried to burrow down to us, we'd be prepared. Rose could shelter Bella and we could take down the intruder. But Rose and Emmett had seen Edward humping rocks, so it was quite likely that the intruder's reasoning skills were no longer completely intact, which meant they'd be less likely to find a way inside. I also started thinking about Carlisle. If it was Edward that meant there was a distinct possibility that Carlisle was hurt or bitten.

Whatever the case, we were trapped for the time being in a small, enclosed area. Three vampires and a human.

"If you have any ideas, now would be the time to voice them. We have Edward or Charlie directly above us. If they burrow down, we'll have no choice but to fight. Otherwise, we're stuck in here with Bella until one of us starts looking at her like she's the last twinkie on earth. If we try to run for it, Bella could get hurt even worse than what she's inflicted on herself. So, I'm plum out of ideas."

Rose looked at me from her position on the floor where she was still cradling her human sister. The sister that was running her hands up and down Rose's cold arms, relishing in the fact that someone was with her.

The words that came out of Rose's mouth shocked both me and Emmett, but the determination behind her voice was unwavering.

"We change her."

"Great idea, babe, but none of us has successfully changed a human before."

I cleared my throat and looked to my brother. "I have, Em. Many times when I was with Maria. I've fed enough that I think I can do it, but I want you behind me to pull me off if necessary. If we all agree this is what Bella would want."

The truth was that we had no idea what she would want because she couldn't communicate with us. But if there was any chance of helping her, changing her would be it. Her eyes and ears would be restored. Hopefully, her insanity was temporary. We'd have to worry about controlling a newborn, but she'd be the fastest and strongest out of all of us. It would definitely give us an advantage over Edward and Charlie.

Rosalie nodded once and looked toward Emmett. He looked solemn, but he nodded as well. I crossed the room and took a deep breath, filling my senses with the smell of her shit and piss, so I'd smell and taste _that_ instead of paying attention to her blood.

Emmett put his hands on my shoulders as I leaned over, kissed her neck, and then sank my teeth into her jugular.

* * *

**A/N: First off, thank you so much to everyone who voted for us in the Gem Awards. We won Best Overall, Best Cliffhanger, and Best Banner. You all rock. Thank you so much for your support for this story. We also both individually won some shit, and we thank you for that too. **

**Also, with the teasers. There were a few of them that didn't get them, because FF wouldn't let us send them out. We apologize for that. You can always sign up for the forums over at TwiWrite if you want to get the latest news or ask questions about this fic. It is where we will keep you posted on the happenings, along with Twitter. K? **

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**We will be changing to a bi-weekly update schedule (with a mini chap thrown in here and there), so expect this to slow down a bit. We're working ourselves to the bone to make these chaps as awesome as we can, and we just flat out refuse to put shit out there. We'll do our best to make each chapter worth the wait, so we hope you understand. Thank you to each and every one of you that has reviewed. You really do make us smile. We'll do our best to answer the reviews and give you a teaser every now and then (especially when we post late…sorry, it happens). So, if you don't like teasers, just tell us in your review "no spoilers". **

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**Two crazy girls and one fucked up fic. Heh!**


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